Dhaka, May 25 ( IANS) As Bangladesh confronts workplace safety concerns, a new international study revealed that female journalists across the country are nearly six times more likely than their male counterparts to experience sexual harassment, with most incidents remaining unreported due to fears of career repercussions, local media reported.

Covering 339 media professionals in Bangladesh, the survey found that 60 per cent of female respondents faced verbal sexual harassment, compared to 9 per cent of male respondents.

The findings are part of a multi-country study conducted by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City, St George's, University of London, and BBC Media Action, which surveyed over 2,800 media professionals across 21 countries. Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Business Standard, reported.

As per the findings, 17 per cent of female media professionals had faced workplace sexual harassment, with more than half choosing not to report the incidents. It added that employers also failed to act in 43 per cent of reported cases.

The survey showed that 48 per cent of women experienced online sexual harassment related to work, compared with 15 per cent of men. It further noted that 24 per cent of women had faced physical sexual harassment, against 4 per cent of men reporting similar experiences.

According to the report, most survivors in Bangladesh did not report incidents, largely out of concern over potential career-related consequences.

Of female media professionals who were subjected to verbal harassment in Bangladesh, 52 per cent did not report the abuse, while employers took no action against 43 per cent of reported cases.

"Sexual harassment has a deeply negative impact on those who experience it and the general working atmosphere in newsrooms. Research shows that no matter the type of harassment, experiencing it decreases job satisfaction and increases the risk of leaving the industry," The Business Standard quoted Lindsey Blumell of City, St George's, University of London, as saying.

The study found that sexual harassment rates were highest in Africa at 33 per cent, followed by the Arab region at 31 per cent, and Southeast Asia recorded 19 per cent, while Ukraine stood at 12 per cent.

Susan Makore, managing director of WAN-IFRA Women in News, said, "When the majority of sexual harassment cases continue to go unreported, it signals a deeper failure of workplace culture, trust, and accountability. Sexual harassment in media is not an isolated workplace issue; it is a structural barrier that shapes who feels safe to participate, stay, and lead within journalism."

--IANS

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