watchdog for citizens such as issuing statements that call the government to order where deemed necessary. The MISA-Lesotho chairperson is one of the co-founders. cover-up of water pollution by the three largest mines in Lesotho. This publication recognises her as the first female investigative journalist from Lesotho to publish a book. Gender and the media Additionally, she co-founded Uncensored News Lesotho, a news organisation with a focus on health and environmental reporting. Cases of sexual harassment of women journalists online and offline often go unreported in Lesotho. due to the stigma associated with such cases. Lerato Matheka, a veteran journalist, serves as the managing editor of the NewsDay newspaper, while Moroa Mopeli holds the position of director at the Lesotho News Agency (LENA). During informal discussions within small groups of women, many journalists have shared their experiences of harassment, while out on assignments conducting interviews and investigations. Risks and challenges encountered by journalists in community media Female journalists in Lesotho feel unsafe whenever they meet and conduct interviews with males across sectors, indicating they are always subjected to one form of harassment or another. The primary obstacle encountered by community media practitioners and journalists in small towns is the scarcity of resources. While no official reports have been made, sextortion in newsrooms has been a concern in recent years, with male bosses harassing women employees by asking them for sexual favours in return for jobs and/or retainment of their positions within organisations. This issue stems from their origins in modest, inadequately funded newsrooms. To mitigate expenses, some publications have chosen to reduce printing costs and cultivate a robust online presence. A study by Gender Links - a rights group indicates that 86 percent of women in Lesotho have experienced some form of gender-based violence (GBV) at the workplace. (24) Nevertheless, most newsrooms continue to rely on external resources for transportation to events and remote locations for story gathering, which can undermine the impartiality of their reporting. While the government of Lesotho has shown its commitment to eliminate sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment through the incorporation of guidelines on Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse & Harassment (PSEAH) into the Public Service Act — it is confined to the public sector employers and employees. Organisations typically do not anticipate adverse coverage in exchange for the resources allocated to transport journalists to events and inaccessible communities. The media sector in Lesotho is yet to develop a policy that protects journalists against sexual exploitation and abuse. A further challenge arises from the inadequate infrastructure prevalent in many small towns and communities. Despite this, women journalists in Lesotho have begun to assume more leadership roles in media institutions as directors, publishers, founders and authors. Journalists and media professionals operating in these regions report significant difficulties in reaching certain areas for news coverage, as they often must traverse great distances on foot due to the lack of accessible roads. The strides are slowly changing the status quo of a male-dominated industry and encouraging women empowerment in the media industry in Lesotho. Centralisation also poses a problem for journalists stationed in small towns and communities. One such journalist is Pascalinah Kabi, who authored a book entitled “Pollution, Profits and the People,” which reveals an extensive STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 2023 These journalists report that local authorities frequently direct them to central offices for information, which complicates their work. 42