By CYRIL DAYAO
Digital Safe House and Collaboration Platform for Women Journalists in the Philippines
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – On World Press Freedom Day, the International Association of Women in Radio and Television – Philippines met with women journalists based in Leyte to look into their gendered experiences and how the organization can provide better programs and services to them.
“We ask for continuing collaboration among stakeholders to protect the rights and welfare of journalists–particularly women truth tellers who are also facing the gendered impacts of press freedom violations against them–as well as their newsrooms and the larger community fighting for genuine change,” IAWRT – Philippines said in a statement issued on May 3, 2023.
IAWRT Philippines chapter head Lynda Catindig Garcia facilitated the two-hour round table discussion, which was held at the Hotel de Fides, Tacloban City.
Women journalists here were able to share their gendered experiences and explored possible responses to the cases of threats and harassments they are facing.
The Tacloban event is the first of the series of round-table discussion, which is a part of IAWRT Philippines’ effort to popularize its project, the Digital Safe House and Collaborative Platform for Women Journalists in the Philippines, a one-stop shop for Filipino women journalists under attack.
The project is in partnership with the International Media Support.
As part of the World Press Freedom Day commemoration, the event was capped off by a solidarity dinner with women journalists and men allies calling for the immediate release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a member of IAWRT Philippines who has been detained for the past three years.
