“It is essential that Palestinian women journalists, particularly those reporting from the Gaza Strip, are able to identify the extent and the nature of the risks they face in their daily journalistic work,” said the Palestinian safety trainer, Sahar Ghanem. “When journalists are trained inon safety, they are not only reducing the risks they are exposed to, but also the perils that their families, colleagues and sources might face, particularly in the digital field.”

Five professionals from the IFJ’s network of safety trainers conducted two workshops for women journalists in Ramallah, the occupied West Bank, and Gaza in August. The sessions had a gender-sensitive approach to safety, taking into account the specific risks and challenges that Palestinian journalists face working on the ground.

A wide range of subjects were covered during the three-day workshops, including planning and risk assessments, safety from firearms, tips to cover demonstrations, training on digital safety, a module of first aid for hostile environments and specific safety recommendations for women journalists. 

Journalist Maha Al-Husseini, who attended the session in Gaza, highlighted: “Thanks to this workshop, I have acquired a wide range of skills and knowledge about safety mechanisms. Undoubtedly, it will be very useful to apply them while working in the field to reduce the scale of risks to which all journalists working in Gaza are exposed to.”

Palestinian journalist Duaa Ruqa described the workshop as of paramount importance, considering the escalation of violence that Israel has launched in recent weeks. However, she noted that “given the volume of information delivered during the training, I think that more than three days are necessary to address the multiple threats we encounter.” She agreed with her colleagues on the urgent and permanent need for continued safety training for Palestinian journalists. 

In the same line, journalist Taghreed Abu Tair praised the content of the training as “comprehensive and highly relevant to the Palestinian context”. She emphasised the human aspect and the camaraderie of the session. “Apart from the valuable knowledge acquired on safety, the experience exchanged with the trainers and colleagues have been very enlightening.” 

Journalists’ safety has always been one of the core priorities of the IFJ’s work. Over the years, the Federation has built a solid network of professional safety trainers across the Middle East and North Africa. 

Read more about the project.