China

The problem of underrepresentation in newsroom compounds and is compounded by the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. The fact is that most female journalists in China have, at some point, been subjected to varying degrees of this form of abuse while performing their professional duties—83.7% of them.

Sophia Huang

According to an online survey conducted in Hong Kong by Sophia Huang, an independent journalist and founder of Anti-Sexual Harassment (ATSH), a WeChat public account through which victims can share stories, find tips, and counseling, and advocate for equal rights.

One interviewee said, "Most people in the industry do not recognize the concept of sexual harassment. Instead, they see it as some kind of 'resource exchange'."

Sophia also found that 57.3% of the victims chose to remain silent, only 3.2% reported the abuse to their companies, and only 0.6% reported the abuse to the police.

Of those who remained silent, more than 60% of were of the opinion it would be useless and indeed counterproductive to report an incident, and nearly half expressed concern that doing so could impact their privacy, career opportunities, and personal lives. Nearly half also expressed uncertainty regarding the most effective strategy for responding to workplace sexual harassment.

Last Story: Key Findings Next Story: Korea