The Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS): Every 6 Women Journalists of 10 Face Discrimination in the Work Place

According to the poll of TGS’s Women and LGBTI Commission, 55% of women journalists in Turkey think they are not equally paid in comparison with men. %87 of them says that giving birth affects their occupational life negatively and %77 thinks it would be different if they were granted nursery opportunities.

5 March 2018

TGS’s Women and LGBTI Commission announced the result of their poll conducted in February 2018 with women journalists in Turkey.

According to the poll:

• Every six women journalists of ten say they are discriminated in their work place.
• 55% of them think they are underpaid compared to men.
• 87% of them think having a child affects their career negatively.

220 women journalists participated in the poll

47% of the participating women work in printed media, the rest works in TV, online channels, new agencies or freelancers. They were asked about sexual discrimination (economic, labour force, marriage, birth) both in the work place and in the field.

Executives come first in showing violence to journalists

60% of the participants say that they face mobbing. Verbal, physical, sexual and digital violence are also among their problems.

Executives come first in using violence. While 53% of the women journalists face violence from their executives, 45% of them face violence from their colleagues.

Violence increased during the state of emergency

The police force is also among the perpetrators. 32% of the women journalists say that the police used force on them.

Journalists cannot make the violence known publicly

Although they are journalists, women say they cannot make the violence public. Only %33 of them says they were able to report the violence they faced.