News & Analysis Insights & Analysis

Erasing Her Story: Gendered Implications of the Global Decline in Press Freedom

Earlier this month, the world observed the 32nd annual World Press Freedom Day, designated by the United Nations as a reminder of the importance of media independence and a moment to honor journalists who have been killed. This year, however, marked a grim milestone. According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), press freedom is now at its lowest point in more than two decades, with over half of the 180 surveyed countries falling into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for journalists and independent media. 

The erosion of press freedom has dire consequences for democracy, accountability, and human security. For women, rising repression carries particularly acute risks; women journalists are often targeted in distinctly gendered ways and operate in an environment that aims to erase their stories. 

“When the target of the campaign is a woman who has a role in public life, the onslaught becomes even more severe… The issue becomes gender.” – Diana Moukalled, Lebanon 

How are women journalists targeted?

Misogynistic abuse, threats of sexual violence, doxxing, deepfakes, and coordinated online harassment campaigns have become deliberate tools deployed to undermine women’s credibility, silence their voices, and force them out of public life. Recent analysis from UN Women found that reports to police of online violence against women journalists have doubled since 2020, contributing to a chilling effect across the profession. Nearly half of women journalists surveyed now self-censor on social media, while an estimated 22 percent report censoring their professional work as a direct result of online abuse. 

Repression is not only widespread, but distinctly gendered; women journalists identify their reporting on gender-related issues—including reproductive rights and violence against women—as the leading catalyst for online attacks, followed closely by political and election coverage, as well as human rights and social issues. These are topics where women’s voices are critical, yet already underrepresented.

“…because I was a woman, they didn’t only kidnap me. They also had to use me to humiliate women who would dare to do so much.” – Jineth Bedoya Lima, Colombia

How does the repression of women journalists undermine peace and democracy?

In many contexts, repression of women’s voices reflects a broader effort to shrink civic space and consolidate authoritarian control, with attacks on women’s rights and participation often serving as an early warning sign of democratic backsliding. 

Declining press freedom also coincides with the stagnation in global progress on women’s status, as measured by the 2025/26 Women, Peace and Security Index. The positive correlation between these two indices underscores an intrinsic link between women’s wellbeing and press freedom; where journalists can report freely, women are more likely to be safe, represented, and able to participate meaningfully in civic and political life. 

“Hatemail isn’t just isolated individuals expressing their outlying outrage, but histories and systems of bias and bigotry handed the means of mass communications.” – Sally Kohn, United States

Where in the world are women journalists at risk?

Targeting of women journalists occurs in most corners of the world, with those in conflict-affected and authoritarian contexts at particular risk. Just as proximity to conflict is a key indicator of women’s wellbeing, armed conflict is identified as the primary reason for deteriorating press freedom for multiple countries that saw a drop in ranking in 2025.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban’s return to power and institutionalization of what many describe as gender apartheid has had a devastating effect on women journalists, most of whom have been silenced through intimidation, restrictions on movement, and gender-based bans. 

Afghanistan 2026 World Press Freedom Index: 175/180 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 181/181

Israeli attacks have killed women journalists across the Middle East—with rights groups alleging that Israel is deliberately targeting the press in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon in an effort to control media coverage of regional conflict, including those documenting the genocide in Gaza. 

Israel 2026 World Press Freedom Index: 116/180 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 84/181

Lebanon 2026 World Press Freedom Index: 115/180 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 141/181

Palestine 2026 World Press Freedom Index: 156/180 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 167/181

In Sudan—a conflict marked by widespread sexual and gender-based violence—women reporters face escalating online abuse, threats, and sustained intimidation campaigns. 

Sudan 2026 World Press Freedom Index: 161/180 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 177/181

In Iran, women journalists and rights defenders both inside and outside the country have been systematically targeted for years, subject to arbitrary arrest and surveillance. Since the beginning of 2026, the authorities have imposed a sweeping internet blackout, which is restricting domestic information flows, cutting off external communication channels, and collapsing internet-reliant informal labor markets. 

Iran 2026 World Press Freedom Index: 177/180 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 128/181

In Colombia—one of the most difficult countries in Latin America for journalists—women are subject to widespread misogyny and face heightened risk of violence, particularly journalists and rights defenders from Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. Colombia also ranks among the most dangerous countries in the world for land and environmental defenders, making women’s coverage of such issues particularly challenging. 

Colombia 2026 World Press Freedom Index: 102/180 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 149/181

While women journalists in countries impacted by conflict often face steep and compounding risks, places that have historically been champions of free speech are also seeing a decline, with women facing growing threats that are often gendered in nature.

The deterioration of press freedom in the United States is cited as a key factor driving global decline, with the country dropping seven places in 2025 compared with 2024, following President Trump’s return to office.  Women journalists are frequently—and increasingly—targeted with hostility, including misogynistic rhetoric and gender-based threats, contributing to a broader pattern aimed at excluding and silencing female voices.

United States World Press Freedom Index: 64/181 | 2025/26 WPS Index: 31/181*

*The 2025/26 WPS Index relies primarily on data prior to January 2025.

What is lost when women’s voices are silenced?

Journalists play a critical role in countering disinformation, documenting abuses, and holding power to account—particularly in conflict-affected environments where independent monitoring is limited or nonexistent. Women journalists often document gender-specific harms that would otherwise remain invisible, hindering peace and accountability efforts during and after conflict. However, it is estimated that less than five percent of global conflict coverage focuses on women’s experiences in war, and in 2025, just 1.3 percent of global online news coverage referenced violence against women and girls—the lowest level recorded in nearly a decade. This lack of visibility undermines accountability for gender-based abuses and weakens recognition of women not only as victims of conflict, but also as frontline responders, peacebuilders, and community leaders.

What implications do these trends have for the world?

The implications of gendered repression extend far beyond individual journalists. Silencing the voices of women narrows whose experiences are documented, whose expertise is recognized, and whose suffering is deemed worthy of attention. Attacks on female journalists further discourage women’s broader participation in public life and decision-making spaces, reinforcing cycles of exclusion that undermine democratic resilience and sustainable peace.

Resources to support women journalists:

Explore More

All News & Analysis