The Women Media Center organized a roundtable discussion at the Quetta Press Club on "Safety and Protection of Female Journalists in Election Reporting." Participants included Bushra Qamar Bureau Chief (GTV), Sadia Jahangir (Bureau Chief, Public News), Atiya Akram (ARY News), Sidra Arif (Bureau cheif Bol News), Khadija Kakkar (GNN), and Aqsa Mir from 92 News). CEO WMC and editor In chief Dastak magazine Fauzia Shaheen inaugurated the session, where female journalists shared experiences on challenges in upcoming election reporting. Bushra Qamar highlighted difficulties in tribal areas like Quetta, including facing local inquiries, government pressure, and limited media access during election events. She noted heightened challenges for female journalists in Quetta compared to other cities due to limited resources, reduced national media roles, and government pressures.
Sadia Jahangir discussed the inferior conditions of election reporting due to restrictions imposed by the Election Commission. She shared challenges faced during the 2018 elections, addressing safety concerns and protections.
Atiya Akram emphasized safety challenges for female journalists, citing government pressure, societal norms, and the strict policies of organizations, including the Election Commission's failure to provide SOT during elections.
Khadija Kakkar highlighted challenges faced by female journalists beyond election reporting, advocating for practicing hard news reporting in Baluchistan.
Sidra Arif discussed favoritism in election reporting, with election commissioners reluctant to provide data, especially to female journalists during elections.
Aqsa Amin shared experiences with the Election Commission's restrictive system during elections, emphasizing difficulties in obtaining permissions for footage inside election houses.
CEO Fauzia Shaheen sought solutions, with Atiya Akram proposing the creation of a ladies' cell within the Election Commission for gender equality. Other female journalists suggested various solutions for ensuring safety and protection during election reporting.
In summary, the discussion delved into the challenges faced by female journalists, urging measures to ensure safety, gender equality, and protection in the election reporting process.
Chehra WebDesk 
