By H.J. Cummins
A team of three journalists has won an ICFJ Anywhere award for their article on sexual harassment in Arab workplaces, their work cited for its superior “style and sourcing.”
The article – a project for an ICFJ online course about labor issues in the Arab world – managed to quote aggrieved women by name. It also put the hushed-up problem in context both as abusive to individual women and ultimately destructive to the whole society and economy.
The award-winning authors were: Syrian journalist Mohammad Hamdan, Sudanese journalist Muna Abd Al Fattah, and Yemeni journalist Abd Al Qawi Al Shalan. Their work appeared Sept. 22 on the Syrian website, Syriasteps.
“Unfortunately, sexual harassment, especially in the workplace, has become a habit in some Arab societies,” said Atef Hassan, Egyptian business journalist, course instructor and competition judge. “Hard traditions cause victims to tend not to report such harassment, because it is considered – in their eyes – a shame to them and their families.
“This report is the best we have received,” Hassan said.
The award culminated a distance learning course that ran through July and August. Its 20 graduates completed a series of lessons, including business terms and statistics, labor coverage, the effects of globalization, and the working conditions of women, children and the elderly. Stephen Franklin, former Middle East bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune and a specialist in labor and economics coverage, developed the curriculum.
ICFJ Anywhere asked the award winners about their experiences with the course and their article, and they provided a collective response.
ICFJ Anywhere: Why did you pick this topic?
The winning journalists: We chose it because it represents a big problem. And although it is now getting attention, it doesn’t go to the core of the problem. Complaints of harassment have increased but not enough, because of social pressures that blame the victim in most cases.
Q: What did you learn in class that helped you produce this article?
A: We learned there is a new trend in reporting: recognizing changes that have taken place in employment and Arab society. It became clearer to us that news reporting doesn’t rely on rigid rules. The most successful stories are those that respect the basics but also find flexible ways to deliver ideas.
Q: What were the biggest surprises to you in your reporting?
A: It was when we discovered that there is no clear sexual harassment law in Arab countries that punishes the perpetrators. Despite pressures from advocacy groups to change the laws, they are all still against women.
Q: What were the biggest challenges?
A: There were no accurate statistics, although there were approximate numbers. Also, harassment is a sensitive subject. Women who are subjected to various forms of harassment and abuse end up locked away at home, depriving the community of their work and causing the community to fall behind because women – who represent half of society – become an untapped resource.
Q: How did you manage to convince women to talk about their abuse? Isn’t that dangerous for them?
A: Convincing the women was not an easy thing to do, however they were ready to talk about their suffering – with some reticence. What encouraged them was the number of advocacy groups that have more clearly defined the concept of harassment and raised awareness among women about their ability to defend themselves.
Women’s organizations have noticed the need to create laws to punish perpetrators. As a result some countries, such as Sudan, have signed the African Protocol of Women’s Rights, which confirms the importance of sanctioning people who commit crimes of sexual violence, including harassment. However, Sudan doesn’t apply the protocol any more than any other Arab country does.
Q: What kind of response has your article received?
A: Most importantly, it has stirred the stagnant waters around this issue. Also, now many involved in harassment realize that they will be exposed to the press and public opinion.
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