By Joe Turay
Sexual harassment remains a significant and underreported problem within Sierra Leone’s media industry, according to new research by Women in News (WIN), a programme of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
The Sierra Leone country profile forms part of a broader global study examining sexual harassment in media workplaces, highlighting patterns of abuse, weak reporting systems and a culture of silence affecting journalists, particularly women.
The study found that sexual harassment — ranging from verbal abuse to physical misconduct — is widespread across the media sector, with women disproportionately affected. Many victims, it said, do not report incidents due to fear of retaliation, lack of institutional support and concerns over career repercussions.
Researchers also pointed to systemic challenges, including limited workplace policies, weak enforcement mechanisms and societal stigma that discourages victims from speaking out.
The findings place Sierra Leone within a broader global trend, where similar patterns have been documented across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Despite some progress in gender equality reforms, analysts say enforcement gaps and institutional weaknesses continue to undermine protections for women in the workplace.
The report calls for stronger newsroom policies, improved reporting mechanisms and greater accountability from media institutions to address the issue.
