Differences for women journalists The military’s seemingly indiscriminate persecution of any journalist captured actually concealed gender-based discrimination. At least 33 women journalists were deprived of their liberty after the coup started, representing 15% of all detained journalists.47 Eight of the 51 journalists still detained at the end of the period under review were women (16%). Women made up a quarter of journalists before the coup and were therefore underrepresented among those detained.48 Civil society observers have highlighted professional factors for underrepresentation, such as fewer women continuing to work after the coup compared to men, and fewer women covering more risky current affairs beats.49 Observers also pointed to cultural factors, such as greater pressure on women journalists from families and colleagues seeking to “protect” them from risky reporting, and military prejudices that women journalists were less influential or threatening than men. HIGHER CONVICTION RATES Although women were underrepresented in the total number of detained journalists, they often experienced worse outcomes than men. The following table shows that women journalists once detained were less likely than men to be released without charge (19% vs. 33%). They were more likely to be charged with a crime (65% vs. 60%), and less likely to be released from detention after being charged (16% vs. 22%). They were also more likely than men to be convicted of a crime (50% vs. 37%). These differences indicated the presence of gender-based discrimination. Some civil society observers raised concerns that women journalists were less likely to have supportive networks than men.50 This may have included less access to or experience with the law, lawyers, and civil society organizations. Some observers theorized that a large proportion of men were captured indiscriminately while reporting on protests during the initial period of the coup and then released quickly. But women journalists were more likely to have been ignored during the protests due to discriminatory attitudes among police who regarded women as less of an immediate threat. Journalists detained later on, including women, were more likely to have been specifically targeted for detention. 47 ICNL categorized the gender of 96% of journalists and did not establish any identifying or being identified by their peers as a gender other than “man” or “woman”. It is likely that some affected journalists conformed to an alternative gender or no gender, but this was not shared. For more information on the general situation in Myanmar, see: Outright International (2021), “2021 Myanmar Crisis: Implications for LGBTQ People”. 48 Surveys have tried over the years to identify the overall number of journalists in Myanmar and their gender breakdown. Surveys before the coup put the proportion of women at about 23%: Irrawaddy (2018), “Women Journalists Say Access to Information More Challenging Under NLD”. 49 Key informant interviews with three civil society leaders carried out on 30 September 2023. 50 Key informant interviews with three civil society leaders carried out on 30 September 2023. 17