Today, Nazra for Feminist Studies ends ou Have no Right campaign, which focused on gender-based violence faced by women journalists in lawyers in Egypt by different actors, within the framework of the 16 Days of Activism to Combat Violence against Women international campaign. The campaign comprised of different papers such as proposals to include gender within the journalists syndicate and the law that governs the work and ethics of lawyers, as well as an analysis of the National Council for Womens role, especially after a new law addressing its mandate was issued. Moreover, various journalists and lawyers who are interested in gender participated in the campaign through writing or talking about their personal experiences, and the discrimination and violence they faced because of their jobs, and on mechanisms to combat violence and the problems associated with its confrontation. The campaign also included videos on the value of solidarity between women journalists and lawyers, comics, and tweets stemming from a focus group organized by Nazra for a number of women lawyers and journalists to reflect and exchange experiences related to violence in their respective careers.

Journalism and law practice are closely related to the advocacy and defence of rights, and it is maybe opportune to remind ourselves on the International Day for Human Rights, which always coincides with the end of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, that those women who work in a way or another to defend and express other peoples worries and rights, are still deprived from many rights and opportunities. Women lawyers and journalists face many patterns of violence within a context of social acceptance and lack of protection mechanisms. As the campaign showed, women lawyers and journalists are subjected to physical and sexual violence by state actors, different societal actors that they deal with, and even their colleagues or bosses, which makes confronting these crimes extremely difficult, within the absence of institutional policies and mechanisms adopted by syndicates for their protection.

Violence against women journalists and lawyers is not normal, nor is it collateral damage. Avoiding this violence is not the role of women journalists and lawyers, but rather that of their institutions and syndicates. As we published legal and policy recommendations during the campaign, we strongly urge the concerned institutions and syndicates to discuss and think about these suggestions for the adoption of effective mechanisms against violence.