In newsrooms in Tanzania—and all over the world, women journalists face sexual harassment. The SCS Boresha Habari project helps raise awareness on “sextortion” in the media with a PSA launched in November 2018 during the 16 Days of Activism on Gender-Based Violence in the Workplace. The PSA, created by SCS partner Internews, is based on an actual incident and shows harassment of a woman journalist while interviewing a source.

Boresha Habari supports women journalists, and sextortion is one of the biggest obstacles in their careers. Even though sexual  harassment is criminalized under the Tanzanian Constitution and labor laws, women whose rights are violated fear losing their jobs, having their stories bypassed for publication, or being blackballed from the industry if they submit complaints.

Boresha Habari COP Angela Nicoara presented, at an SCS media round table, the key points of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers Sexual Harassment in the Media Guide and encouraged attendees to adopt its sample sexual harassment policy. Boresha Habari will continue to support female journalists and raise awareness as the battle against sextortion goes on.