8 March 2020: The Indian Journalists Union urged women journalists to join and strengthen the unions. At the same time, it called upon the Union Labour Ministry to ratify the ILO Convention 190 to end violence and harassment in the world of work, as these have devastating implications for the targeted journalist as her well-being, her work, her private life and eventually press freedom are affected.

Marking International Women’s Day, the IJU said that while women have made huge strides in the field of journalism and broken the glass ceiling long ago, their low presence in unions is very much felt. It urged them to raise their voice in unions and strengthen the movement, which is increasingly getting impacted with contract system of employment and rising layoffs in the media industry.

Besides, the IJU at its recent National Executive Committee meeting held in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh also demanded that media managements adhere to the law of the land and give full maternity leave and other benefits to women journalists, as attention has been drawn to the fact that many women journalists are being denied the same particularly in regional and language press.

The IJU also urged upon its State affiliates to set up Gender Cells in their unions and engage in campaigns to take up related issues. Importantly, two State affiliates in the north-east ---All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) marked the Women’s Day by honouring their women journalists and members at functions today.