Editors Guild of India 'condemns predatory conduct of men', expresses solidarity with women speaking up in #MeToo movement

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday “condemned all predatory conduct by men” accused of sexual harassment by scores of women journalists as part of the #MeToo movement in India. In a  statement , the association “noted with concern and dismay the incidence of alleged sexual harassment and assault on women journalists by their male colleagues”.

The guild also expressed its “gratitude and solidarity towards women journalists who displayed courage to bring such critical issues in public debate”. It emphasised its commitment to “ensuring that the legal rights of either the victims or the accused are not violated”.

“It is our responsibility as media leaders to ensure that it (the newsroom) remains safe and fair for all, especially women,” the editors’ body said in the statement.

Editors Guild of India has issued a statement on the recent cases of alleged sexual harassment in the newsrooms. Please read the full text here: https://t.co/xrPM0vb2jK pic.twitter.com/vnKVzVWWik

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) October 9, 2018

Several women journalists have taken to Twitter to share their experiences of sexual harassment by their male colleagues. Some have led to consequences for high-profile editors, including Prashant Jha , who stepped down as the chief of bureau and political editor of the Hindustan Times, former DNA editor-in-chief Gautam Adhikari and the editor of The Times of India’s Hyderabad edition, KR Sreenivas .

The Network of Women in Media  had also released  a statement  on  its website , expressing solidarity with the women who have spoken up. It had made a number of demands, including counselling for survivors and the accused, assistance in filing complaints, support for freelance journalists who are especially vulnerable, public display of anti-sexual harassment policy and the establishment of sensitive internal committees.

On Saturday, the Mumbai Press Club , too, had issued a statement, saying it stood in solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment.