Who we are
Women in Journalism Scotland was launched in November 2016 with the aim of networking, training and campaigning for women working across print, broadcast and online journalism and communications.
With help from the far longer established London-based Women in Journalism, the group was kickstarted by Shelley Jofre of the BBC, the Guardian’s Libby Brooks and Nicole Kleeman of Firecrest films.
Since then, we’ve held training sessions for women wanting to improve their commentating skills, speaker events with key Scottish journalists and politicians, and raised awareness about the shocking levels of sexual harassment experienced by women in newsrooms.
Aims
01. networking
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The word itself can conjure dire evenings of warm white wine, but really we’re just about ensuring that women who want to connect with other women working in their industry can do so easily. We often take our own lived experience for granted. Whatever your problem, you can be sure that someone in the room will have found a solution to it before now. That’s why we organise local and national meet-ups from Inverness to Glasgow.
02. Training
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Early members told us that they wanted help to upskill, so we’ve held workshops on column writing and time-management, co-hosted the BBC expert women events and we’re always keen to hear more about what would be useful to you to help you develop professionally.
03. Campaigning
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We know Scotland is full of opinionated women journalists and communications professionals who are more than capable of speaking up for themselves. But we also recognise how important it is to know that others have got your back. We want to be a voice for women – in whatever way our members ask us to be – whether that’s putting out fires on social media or bigger pieces of campaigning around Me Too or equal pay.
Why we’re here
We’re here to celebrate the work of many brilliant women journalists working across all platforms in Scotland. But we’re also aware that there still aren’t enough of us in senior positions. Those of us who do get there are often forced to compromise on pay or family-work balance. And the working environment for many women borders on hostile.
According to our own research in June 2018, out of 177 women surveyed, we found nearly a third of women who responded to our survey had been sexually harassed at work, half of those more than three times.
Twenty-seven per cent said they had put up with unwanted sexual advances up to three times, while 48 per cent had experienced sexist behaviour on more than three occasions and 59 per cent said lewd or sexist language had been used in their presence more than three times.
Worryingly, almost one in ten said they had experienced what they defined as sexual assault in the workplace.
More than two thirds of those sexually harassed did not make a complaint: 38 per cent because they worried it would negatively affect their career, 19 per cent because they worried it would not be taken seriously, and 11 per cent because they felt that the HR mechanism to deal with it was inadequate. Of those who complained, only one in four felt it was dealt with to their satisfaction.
“Workplaces are becoming more equitable places for women - but we still have work to do”
Gabriella BENNETT | wij scotland CO-chair
FAQs
Can I join if I'm a student?
Yes, students are entitled to a discounted rate. Many students have found that joining WIJ Scotland is a useful way to make contacts in the industry and, like all members, you are entitled to access our events and training sessions.
What are the benefits of joining?
Members are featured on our public online database and get reduced rates for our regular events. Members can also join the committee meetings to have their say in the organisation.
I'm interested in hosting an event in my area, how do I get involved?
We hold regular meet-up events all over Scotland where you can meet other women working locally in your area. These events are hosted by our members. To find out about what’s happening in your area or to offer to host an event, get in touch with wijscotland@gmail.com
I want to book a woman journalist for my event, what should I do?
We have a public online database that lists all our members, their expertise and interests. You can browse our members page or our committee page for bios and more details.
How do I find out about training and jobs in Scotland?
Visit our resources page that has links to various websites that are regularly updated.
Want to get involved?
Join WIJ Scotland
