The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has today launched a new report titled "Targeted Online, Unsafe Offline: Gender-Based Violence and Impunity Against Women Journalists in Somalia", which exposes the scale of abuse that female journalists face in their newsrooms, in the field, at home and across digital spaces.
The report, released as part of a series of events throughout November to continue commemorating the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, shows how harassment, intimidation and violence continue to silence women in the profession. This year's global theme chosen by UNESCO focuses on AI-driven gender-based violence against women journalists, underscoring the urgency of these findings.
The report documents 79 cases of sexual and gender-based violence recorded between 2023 and 2025, although the real figures are believed to be far higher because many women do not report abuse due to fear of retaliation, stigma, or a lack of trust in formal complaint systems. Female journalists describe toxic newsroom environments, sexual coercion by supervisors, threats from political actors, attacks during field reporting and a surge in online harassment that includes manipulated images, impersonations and coordinated campaigns designed to destroy their credibility.
A major warning in the report concerns the rapid rise of AI-facilitated abuse. Deepfake images, cloned voices and automated online attacks are being used to shame, intimidate and silence women journalists. Digital violence quickly spreads and persists online, causing lasting harm to both personal and professional lives.
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The union stresses that this crisis cannot be dismissed as isolated or inevitable. It is a national failure that weakens media freedom and denies women journalists the ability to report safely and professionally. The report calls for stronger and more progressive laws that criminalise sexual violence and harassment, including online violence; urgent reforms within media houses to protect female media professionals; and firm action from authorities to hold perpetrators accountable. It also urges tech platforms to take responsibility for removing AI-generated sexual content, fake accounts and abusive materials that target journalists.
"Somalia cannot claim to defend media freedom while women journalists live with threats, harassment and humiliation as part of their daily reality. This report lays bare a pattern of violence that has been tolerated for far too long. No woman should have to choose between her safety and her career or be punished for speaking the truth," said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General. "Protecting women journalists is a question of justice and a test of our commitment to human rights. The voices of Somali women in the media strengthen our society and our democracy. They deserve protection, dignity and the full force of the law when they are attacked."
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The union says that protecting women journalists is essential for safeguarding truth, accountability and the public's right to information. It calls for a national crusade around this issue and urges all institutions to act with seriousness and urgency.
The full report "Targeted Online, Unsafe Offline: Gender-Based Violence and Impunity Against Women Journalists in Somalia" is now available here https://nusoj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NUSOJ-Report-5.pdf.
