Bangladesh women journalists face 6x higher sexual harassment risk, study finds
Synopsis
A 21-country study has found that female journalists in Bangladesh face sexual harassment at nearly six times the rate of their male peers — and most never report it. With employers failing to act in 43 per cent of reported cases, researchers say the problem is not individual misconduct but a structural failure of accountability inside newsrooms.
Key Takeaways
Female journalists in Bangladesh are nearly six times more likely than men to experience sexual harassment, according to a new multi-country study.
60 per cent of female respondents reported verbal sexual harassment, versus 9 per cent of male respondents.
52 per cent of women who faced verbal harassment did not report it; employers took no action in 43 per cent of cases that were reported.
The study covered 2,800+ media professionals across 21 countries , conducted by WAN-IFRA Women in News , City, St George's, University of London , and BBC Media Action .
Globally, harassment rates were highest in Africa (33%) , followed by the Arab region (31%) and Southeast Asia (19%) .
Female journalists in Bangladesh are nearly six times more likely than their male counterparts to experience sexual harassment in the workplace, according to a major international study released in May 2025. Most incidents go unreported, with survivors citing fears of career repercussions — a pattern that researchers say signals a structural failure in newsroom culture.
Key Findings from the Survey
The study, conducted across 339 media professionals in Bangladesh, found that 60 per cent of female respondents had faced verbal sexual harassment, compared to just 9 per cent of male respondents. Physical sexual harassment was reported by 24 per cent of women, against 4 per cent of men. Online harassment linked to work affected 48 per cent of women, versus 15 per cent of men.
Overall, 17 per cent of female media professionals reported experiencing workplace sexual harassment. Of those who endured verbal harassment, 52 per cent chose not to report the abuse. In cases that were reported, employers took no action in 43 per cent of instances.
About the Multi-Country Research
The findings are drawn from a wider multi-country study conducted by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City, St George's, University of London, and BBC Media Action, which surveyed more than 2,800 media professionals across 21 countries. Bangladesh's data was among the most closely examined, reflecting acute concerns about newsroom safety in the country.
Globally, sexual harassment rates were highest in Africa at 33 per cent, followed by the Arab region at 31 per cent. Southeast Asia recorded 19 per cent, while Ukraine stood at 12 per cent.
What Researchers and Experts Said
Lindsey Blumell of City, St George's, University of London, said: 'Sexual harassment has a deeply negative impact on those who experience it and the general working atmosphere in newsrooms. Research shows that no matter the type of harassment, experiencing it decreases job satisfaction and increases the risk of leaving the industry.'
Susan Makore, managing director of WAN-IFRA Women in News, stated: 'When the majority of sexual harassment cases continue to go unreported, it signals a deeper failure of workplace culture, trust, and accountability. Sexual harassment in media is not an isolated workplace issue; it is a structural barrier that shapes who feels safe to participate, stay, and lead within journalism.'
Impact on Bangladesh's Media Industry
The data arrives as Bangladesh grapples with broader workplace safety concerns. The high rate of non-reporting — driven by career fears rather than absence of incidents — suggests that formal complaint mechanisms, where they exist, are not trusted by those who need them most. The finding that employers failed to act in nearly half of all reported cases compounds that concern.
Notably, the Bangladesh figures sit within a region — Southeast Asia — that already records above-average harassment rates by global comparison. Advocates argue that without enforceable newsroom policies and anonymous reporting channels, the data is unlikely to improve in the next survey cycle.
Point of View
To a degree, sanctioned. The study's framing of harassment as a 'structural barrier' to participation in journalism is the right one: when women exit the industry because newsrooms are unsafe, the diversity and accountability of the press itself narrows. Bangladesh's figures, while stark, are not outliers in the regional context — Southeast Asia as a whole records above-average rates — which suggests that national-level policy responses, not just individual newsroom reforms, are needed.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the study find about sexual harassment of women journalists in Bangladesh?
The study found that female journalists in Bangladesh are nearly six times more likely than their male counterparts to experience sexual harassment. Sixty per cent of women surveyed reported verbal sexual harassment, and 17 per cent reported workplace sexual harassment overall.
Why do most harassment cases go unreported in Bangladesh's media industry?
According to the study, most survivors chose not to report incidents primarily out of concern over potential career-related consequences. Of women who experienced verbal harassment, 52 per cent did not file a report.
Who conducted the study and how large was it?
The study was conducted by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City, St George's, University of London, and BBC Media Action. It surveyed more than 2,800 media professionals across 21 countries, with 339 respondents from Bangladesh.
How does Bangladesh compare to other regions in the study?
Bangladesh falls within the Southeast Asia grouping, which recorded a 19 per cent sexual harassment rate — above Ukraine's 12 per cent but below the Arab region's 31 per cent and Africa's 33 per cent, the highest globally.
What happens when harassment is reported in Bangladeshi newsrooms?
Employers took no action in 43 per cent of cases that were reported, according to the study. Researchers say this inaction reinforces a culture of silence and discourages future reporting.
