“Bopha” is a given name by CamboJA for an online journalist in Battambang province, who experienced discrimination and harassment as a woman journalist.

She went into journalism in 2020 and currently works as a news reporter for ASEAN Daily News with a recording studio set up in her house.

Before becoming a journalist, she reported on issues in her community in Koas Kralar district in Battambang but was frequently banned by the local authorities, who told her not to post or report on social media unless she was a journalist.

“When I wanted to take photos to post on social media, they would tell me that I had no capacity to do that [because I was not] a journalist,” she said, adding that she then decided to learn about journalism. “Later, someone asked me to be a journalist.”

Bopha did not receive any training on journalism or news writing when she first started as a journalist. She only reported live on Facebook.

“I first made a live report at a gambling venue. They [gamblers] wanted to [hurt] me.  At the time, I just started the job, so I didn’t know how to get information and secure protection,” she said.

In 2021, she underwent training on news reporting by advocacy-based NGO Alliance for Conflict Transformation in Phnom Penh. “I joined the training and [also learned] how to communicate with the community and authorities, and resolve disputes,” she said.

Bopha uses a smartphone for reporting by taking photos and videos. The videos are edited with voiceovers in her studio. “In the digital era, having a smartphone can make you a journalist,”  she said.

Having reported on land disputes, she was sued by the authority. Currently, she reports positive issues for her own safety.

Bopha said as a woman journalist, she has experienced discrimination and sexual harassment by male journalists and government officials.

“I interviewed a provincial officer, and he used inappropriate words, with sexual [references], and I was really upset. My husband told me to stop doing this job,” she said. “I also experienced sexual harassment by male journalists while covering news on the field, who touch me intentionally.”

However, she remains optimistic as a journalist. “I want all women journalists to be brave, strong and not hesitate to do this job even if you face challenges, such as harassment,” she said.

Bopha is not the only woman journalist who experienced discrimination and harassment at work.

According to a study conducted by UNESCO, which was reported by a local media last year, women journalists and media practitioners globally, including Cambodians, increasingly undergo offline and online attacks, and are subject to disproportional and specific threats.

The study concluded that 73% of women media staff experienced online violence.

In 2023, UNESCO and the Women’s Media Centre launched the project to improve the safety of women journalists and strengthen freedom of expression in Cambodia.

Roeun Samnang, 38, who works for Say Poch News in Battambang province shared similar challenges being a woman journalist. She said her family did not encourage her to work as a journalist due to the risks which went with the job.

Being a woman journalist is not easy because women are subject to harassment. “It’s hard for me to ask for information from sources. They tell me that women should not work as journalists,” she said.

Samnang had previously joined a training on journalism by the Cambodian Center for Independent Media (CCIM). There should be more opportunities for local journalists, especially women journalists, to build their capacity in journalism, she said.

She also asked local authorities to accept the duties of a journalist. “I want to see the authorities cooperate with journalists and media associations to promote and support women journalists when we face problems,” she said.

Both Samnang and Bopha are not fully aware of safety and security when at work and have yet to receive training on online and physical safety.

Rann Sreydeth, a freelance journalist in Phnom Penh, who is studying journalism at the Department for Media and Communication (DMC), said her family did not encourage her to work as a journalist at first.

“They were worried about me and asked me to stop doing this work, especially when they saw me working with independent media,” she said. “Because I love this job, I tried to explain and convince them about my work. I want to be a professional.”

Sreydeth shared that she has been harassed during interviews with government officials.

“I called a state official to ask about a case of a journalist who was arrested, and the official asked me which one,” she said. “At the time, I did not recall the journalist’s identity. The official then said, ‘why don’t you know how to work? [You] are stupid and still want to interview me?’,”.

Sreydeth said the number of women journalists working for independent media is still small as they are afraid of reporting on sensitive issues and face social norms and family objections.

“I think the issue of gender should not be a barrier to women from doing what they want. If women received support from their family, they would feel open. We can do what we want to do without much concern,” she said.

Thegovernment and media outlets should encourage women to become journalists, she remarked, adding that when it comes to cases like sexual harassment, only women can understand the problems.

In 2023, the Ministry of Information issued 3,201 press cards, including 113 cards for international journalists. Out of the total issuance, 269 were women journalists, which was equivalent to 8.7%.

However, a media report in 2022, which quoted ministry data, mentioned that there were more than 470 women journalists in Cambodia in 2021. When both data are compared, the number of women journalists has declined by more than 42%.

CamboJA sought clarification from the Ministry of Information regarding the data but its spokesperson, Tep Asnarith, instead instructed the publication to submit an official letter requesting the information.

Meanwhile, Chhan Sokunthea, executive director of CCIM, requested the ministry to include “special protection” for women journalists, especially when they cover news in unsafe locations.

“When they report sensitive issues such as land disputes, they have to be on the field or go into the forest. If something happens, who is responsible for their safety,” she said.

Hang Samphors, team leader of Cambodian Female Journalists, said the number of female journalists was small because challenges, such as sexual harassment, continue to exist online and offline.

“Safety and security of female journalists is not highly focused when they go on field trips and travel at night,” she said. “Online harassment commonly happens to women journalists and no action is taken by the authorities.”

Samphors said the restriction of press freedom is another factor limiting women’s participation in the media. “The role of women journalists’ in decision-making should be promoted with more opportunities for capacity building and psychological support,” she said.