London, UK - Our job as journalists carries with it an inherent risk that affects us all, irrespective of our gender or ethnic background, because we go to places and events that people are trying to get away from: disaster zones, violent confrontations, and unrest.

However, the way that that risk plays itself out can be gender-specific.

In the field, being a woman can disarm aggressiveness and diffuse tension in interactions with authorities who have the power to facilitate or block access and passage.

That same "female factor" can also spiral out of control and turn into a threat of sexual assault. We heard horrific stories of American female journalists being attacked during the Egyptian revolution in 2011. There are many other cases we did not hear about because the victims are not Western.

They don't have the same access and publicity; they may not be as comfortable talking openly about an issue that's considered private and sensitive in some cultures, or they may worry that any frank discussion could portray them as weak and incapable of braving the dangers of field journalism.