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 needs to embark on radical changes without delay, otherwise, there will soon be no more women in decision-making roles,” said Elena Tarifa, chair of the GENDEG.

The EFJ surveyed 859 journalists among its national union members (360 men and 499 women) across 17 European countries about their work experiences, including instances of inequality, discrimination, or violence throughout their careers. The full data will be published in May 2025.

The initial results indicate that:

• Women journalists made up 64% of the respondents who reported facing difficulties in advancing their careers;
• A majority of women (70%) believe they are not paid equally to men;
• Women made up 77% of the respondents who reported feeling discriminated against due to their gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

Furthermore, the study confirms that women in journalism are disproportionately affected by harassment and discrimination. Specifically, women journalists are far more likely than their male counterparts to experience verbal abuse (61% vs. 47%), discrimination (36% vs. 16%), and sexually transgressive behaviour (22% vs. 2%).

Transgressive behaviour, which covers every form of unwanted behaviour such as verbal or physical violence, bullying, unwanted sexual acts, intimidation, racism or discrimination, was found to be most prevalent in newsrooms with 44% (30% in the field and 14% online). Women constituted 64% of those who found it difficult to report these inappropriate behaviours.

Across Europe, studies show that more and more women journalists are leaving the profession or considering doing so. Reasons put forward include precariousness, lack of professional opportunity, and widespread sexism that make newsrooms an unattractive place to work for women.

This alarming trend is symptomatic of a discriminatory and unequal working environment, at a time when many women journalists say they have given up motherhood for professional reasons, or have missed out on career opportunities because of motherhood. Unfortunately, some women have to trade-off between pursuing a career in journalism and starting a family.

The EFJ Gender and Diversity Expert Group calls again on media companies to take action against gender discrimination in their workforces by developing equality plans and supporting women journalists’ career advancement into decision-making roles.

“If we don’t get to grips more seriously with the issue of equality, we run the risk of seeing women disappear from senior positions, already few in number. This situation has a direct impact on the information. We must get rid of the misogynistic culture present in too many newsrooms and provide a safe space for women journalists to report any unwanted behaviour. I urge media companies to implement a zero-tolerance policy,“ said EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez.

The survey was conducted online from December 2024 to January 2025 among journalists’ organisations affiliated with the European Federation of Journalists. The full set of data will be published in May 2025.