President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Efua Ghartey, has urged greater protection and inclusion of women in journalism, stressing that any media space where female reporters face insecurity or misrepresentation cannot truly be considered democratic or fair.

Speaking at the inaugural HerPress Summit, she made a direct legal and moral case for safeguarding women in the media.

“A free press cannot exist where women are unsafe. Protecting women journalists is not optional. It is a test of whether our media and our democracy truly serve justice,” she stated.

Efua Ghartey cautioned that unchecked online abuse and physical intimidation erode the press’s ability to hold power to account and distort the public record.

She urged media houses, regulators, and security agencies to fully deploy existing laws and mechanisms to protect journalists.

Citing provisions in Ghana’s constitution as well as data and cyber security laws, she stressed that freedom of expression must be balanced with safeguards against privacy violations and harassment.

She also reminded journalists of their ethical duty to avoid sensationalism and preserve human dignity when covering traumatic events, pointing to recent local coverage of a helicopter accident as an example of harmful reporting practices.

Highlighting the unique power of imagery to shape public memory and political imagination, Ghartey noted that photographs and visual storytelling, when used responsibly, can inspire leadership and reshape societal norms.

The GBA president concluded her address by urging newsrooms to make journalist safety a non-negotiable priority and to ensure that women are not only present but leading in the media spaces that will shape Ghana’s future.