Minister of Women and Youth Sindiswe Chikunga Calls for the Protection of Female Journalists

PRETORIA, GAUTENG– The Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities called for female journalists and women in the media to be protected and referred to them as custodians of truth and democracy.

According to TimesLIVE, Chikunga spoke on 3 May 2026 when the world commemorated World Press Freedom Day. Chikunga, who was sworn in as a minister in 2024, said that the protection of women journalists remains an uncompromisable priority. She said that their voices must be preserved by fear-induced suppression, violence, or discrimination online, in the field, or in newsrooms.

Department calls for protection of journalists

The department added that female journalists are routinely harassed, intimidated, and abused online and are subjected to threats of gender-based violence. It stated that these jeopardise female journalists’ safety and also undermine the principles of democratic governance and media freedom. The department acknowledged that for women in the industry, exercising the freedom of transparency and accountability comes at a cost. It called for media companies to ensure that workplace safety policies protect journalists against harassment and digital abuse.

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How safe are journalists in South Africa?

According to the Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2024, harassment of journalists, online and physically, continues to increase, and women bear the brunt of the attacks. The South African National Editors Forum said in the report that they were horrified by the growing trends that were aimed at stopping journalists from reporting on important stories. The Digital News Report 2025 pointed out that concern about information integrity is great in South Africa, which is shown by a growing tendency among the youth to rely on social media for news.

Source: Briefly News