Many Arab female journalists are covering the Russia-Ukraine war with a courage despite threat to their lives in the ongoing war.
When Russia invaded Ukraine two weeks ago, Middle Eastern news organisations quickly deployed correspondents to report live from the ground.
With a particular focus on how the conflict might impact the Arab world, newsrooms in Arab capitals, from Riyadh to Dubai to Doha, have worked round the clock to keep their viewers informed with the latest news and views about the crisis.
However, viewers region wide have noticed something different about the recent coverage: Almost all of the correspondents deployed by regional channels to cover the war are women, according to Arab News report.
Among the prominent Arab women covering the war is Najlaa Aboumerhi, a war correspondent for Qatar’s regional news channel Al-Araby TV. She has been reporting on the developments as they unfold from the heart of Ukraine.
Previously at BBC Arabic, London-based Aboumerhi’s reporting style has drawn praise for displaying both courage and charisma that resonated well with Arab audiences.
“Reporting from a hostile environment needs some journalistic qualifications and personal aptitude and skills that I believe I enjoy, therefore when I was asked to be deployed to Ukraine, Kyiv by my editors at Al-Araby TV, I immediately accepted the mission,” Aboumerhi told Arab News.
A mentor in the Marie Colvin Female Journalists’ Network, which is dedicated to the late American correspondent who was killed while reporting on the Syrian war for London’s Sunday Times newspaper, Aboumerhi described women’s experiences on the front line.
“I think we see more women reporters on the front line due to many factors, not because women were less keen before, but because at the decision-making level, the thinking has changed,” she said.
