In 2026, India grapples with ongoing concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists amid reports of increased risks to women in the media. Women reporters in Delhi continue to face structural barriers to field work, including unequal access to sources, security threats and gender-based exclusion from key positions.
Mrinalini Dhyani, an independent journalist who has worked with The Print and Mojo Story, recalled a press conference organized by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw where she was the only woman at the table and how another woman with a camera and tripod who entered the room provided a moment of mutual recognition. “That’s how it was with us.” “You will be explained to and not taken seriously, and regardless of whether it is 2026, you will still be spoken to gently.” On newsroom practices, Mrinalini added: “In Indian newsrooms, ensuring a woman’s safety while sending her on a mission is often viewed as an additional burden.” And so the opportunity is usually passed on to male colleagues because “they supposedly have no safety concerns.”
Normalizing Exclusion: From Press Conferences to Beats
For many reporters, exclusion is not just about personal safety, but also about professional access. “The very fact that the male colleagues found nothing unusual about the absence of female journalists in the room shows how profoundly this has been normalized,” she noted Taliban press conferences in Delhi.
Himanshi Dahiya, special correspondent at The Quint, pointed out: “There are certain areas, be it crime, politics, security or defense, where a large part of the reportage depends on access. These areas are so male-dominated that it is very difficult for a female reporter to gain access. For many female reporters, exclusion is not just about personal safety but also professional access.”
Himanshi Dahiya, special correspondent at The Quint, pointed out: “There are certain areas, be it crime, politics, security or defense, where a large part of the reportage relies on access. These areas are so male-dominated that it is very difficult for a woman reporter to gain access. I have had assignments where while I ask a question, the officer answers my male colleague sitting next to me.” She recounts how she felt threatened during a reporting trip after men connected to a powerful local mafia she was interviewing later showed up in her hotel lobby to quietly intimidate her, an incident she said was unlikely to happen to a male reporter.
Security as a barrier: Institutional and societal challenges
Dahiya explains that male reporters often get quicker access to sources and can travel freely for reports using any mode of transportation, even at late hours. “A male colleague has a better chance of getting the story first without thinking about all these things, but I have to think about whether it’s even safe to travel. That pushes women away from the competition.” Sometimes news organizations pass over women for reporting assignments because of safety concerns and higher travel costs, she says. “There are times when men are given priority over women on assignments, making you less efficient at your job through no fault of your own.”
FII
Recalling an incident, journalist Swadha Shankar narrated how a field operation on menstrual taboos in a rural area near Mayur Vihar in Delhi turned violent. “When the men from this village saw a woman asking their young girls such ‘nasty’, ‘dirty’ questions, they became violent. As I was leaving the area, two men grabbed me by the collar and said, ‘If you ever come here again and spread this filth, we will break your legs.'”
She added that basic facilities such as night taxis “only exist because it is a government regulation”. Talking about her coverage of Bihar elections 2020 and UP elections 2022, she said, “When you see a woman reporter on the ground, you just know that she is risking her safety for information. Regularly, people call women reporters and risk their safety.”
Another journalist, who wished to remain anonymous, recalled the challenges she faced while reporting Wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar in 2023. “A tall, burly man from the wrestling camp came up to me and questioned my qualifications and age. He just stared at me in a way that made me really uncomfortable,” she said.
As the man walked away, comments made by a male journalist accompanying her unsettled her. “He told me that he saw me from a distance, visibly frightened and frozen in front of this harasser. He said I allowed the harasser to do whatever he wanted to me,” she said, adding that she was outraged that someone could say something like that in a woman’s name. Reflecting on the larger issue, she said equal participation is not just a problem within media organizations, but a broader systemic issue. “You can’t expect them to send me to Afghanistan because the Taliban wouldn’t allow me to go there and report on women’s rights.” She added.
“Being on the field as a woman always carries risks,” said Sabika Syed, multimedia journalist at The Print. “I am privileged to have transportation facilities at my workplace that reduce this fear. While your camera acts as a shield, there are times when men still find ways to harm me. While working on a film where shooting hours were 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., there were times when men found ways to harass me during filming, either physically or through words or images.”
For many reporters, these concerns reflect their experiences of exclusion, security risks and unequal opportunities during their deployment. As debates about gender equality in the media intensify, fueled by recent reports about journalists’ safety and India’s declining global rankings, she said these incidents are just a reminder of what many in the field continue to contend with.