European Federation of Journalists

European Federation of Journalists

Policy

Gender and Diversity Expert Group

Following a resolution in favour of a new expert group focusing on gender and diversity issues, adopted at the EFJ General Assembly 2022 in Izmir (Turkey), the Gender and Diversity Expert Group (GENDEG) was created to address inequalities in the profession both within media organisations and in media content.

In view of the specific problems faced by women journalists and journalists from diverse social,  and ethnic background, physical or mental disabilities as well as diverse sexual identity or orientation – such as rampant sexism in newsrooms, violence at work, online harassment, pay inequalities, and the harmful stereotyping still prevalent in the media – this expert group aims to:

  1. Fight against all forms of discrimination by addressing the intersectional dimensions of diversity in the workplace;
  2. Raise awareness on gender/diversity-specific issues journalists are facing;
  3. Put on the agenda equality and diversity both in newsrooms and in media content;
  4. Ensure the safety of journalists off and online, specifically fighting sexist attacks and everyday sexism at workplaces, as well as online harassment against women journalists;
  5. Negotiate collectively to address discrimination in newsrooms such as the gender pay gap, bad working conditions, glass ceiling, difficulties in work-life balance, etc… ;
  6. Equip journalists with resources to end gender bias and to properly inform on diversity.

Members: Elena Tarifa Herrero (chair), Lina Kushch, Laura Emilia Arias, Domenica Margherita Calligaris, Guylaine Germain, Borka Rudic, Nicola Edge, Houda Benallal, Christiana Jankovics, Claudia Martins, Ute Korinth, Mila Moralic, Serhiy Shturkhetskyy, Carolina Pecharroman (reserve), Carmen Mudarra (reserve), Joao Rosario (reserve).

Actions

Women’s Day: Gender-based violence, a growing weapon against women journalists

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in publishing alarming data highlighting how women journalists across Europe continue to face enhanced risk through systematic gender-based violence in the past year. Our 2025 monitoring documented 53 cases of gender-based violence targeting women media professionals across EU Member States and candidate countries, including online smear campaigns, threats of sexual violence and derogatory comments about physical appearance. This data, recorded on the MFRR’s Mapping Media Freedom platform, reaffirms that women journalists are disproportionately affected by gender-based…

Stand Up for Journalism: New report urges recognition of online harassment as a systemic professional risk

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is releasing a new report “Ending the Silence on Online Harassment of Journalists”. Authored by journalist and tech policy advisor Elodie Vialle, the report provides an overview of the widespread phenomenon that is online harassment targeting journalists, whose normalisation makes it harder to address. It documents trends, identifies key challenges, highlights good practices, and offers actionable recommendations for all actors – journalists’ unions and associations, newsrooms, social partners, policy makers, as well as online platforms – to take action to…

EFJ General Meeting in Budapest adopts resolution to end inequality and violence against women journalists

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has adopted a strong resolution at its General Meeting in Budapest on 3 June 2025, calling for urgent action to tackle inequality, discrimination, and violence faced by women journalists across Europe. The resolution, tabled by the EFJ Steering Committee and its Expert Group on Gender and Diversity (GENDEG), follows new findings from a Europe-wide survey that paints a troubling picture of the realities many women journalists face today. “We need to take concrete action towards these persistent gender inequalities in the media in Europe; discrimination by gender or diversity is not only a human…

IWD: Women journalists have no more time to wait for equality

Ahead of the International Women’s Day, on 8 March, the Gender and Diversity Expert Group (GENDEG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls upon all unions, media companies, and journalists to work towards achieving equal working and professional conditions for women journalists across Europe. “The first results from our recent survey highlight the persistent gender inequality in the media in Europe. Women journalists, particularly mothers, continue to face greater obstacles in career advancement and experience more discrimination and harassment in the workplace compared to their male counterparts. We still have a long way to go, and the whole sector…

Time to eliminate violence against women journalists

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on 25 November 2024, the Gender and Diversity Expert Group (GENDEG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls for urgent action to prevent and stop violence against women journalists, both offline and online. Across Europe, women journalists face unacceptable harassment, threats, and physical, psychological, and sexual attacks in their workplace and on the job. To address this issue effectively, we must first remedy the lack of comprehensive data on gender-based violence in journalism. “It is our responsibility, as unions, to work together to prevent and create awareness on…

International Women’s Day: Solidarity with female journalists risking their lives to report the news

On International Women’s Day, the Gender and Diversity Expert Group (GENDEG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stands in solidarity with the female journalists and media workers risking their lives to inform the world. In various countries around Europe, conflicts and authoritarian regimes are ongoing and many women journalists are on the ground or in exile reporting in extremely difficult conditions. In Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, female journalists are behind bars, physically assaulted, harassed, or exposed to unsafe situations. In Ukraine, at least five female journalists are held in captivity on the Russia-controlled territories, and since February 2022, seven…

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