Women Writing War

The Women Writing War debate at the Guardian Newsroom last night got off to a bad start.

Anne Sebba, biographer and former Reuters foreign correspondent, started with a question about the challenges facing women reporters on the front line. The BBC's Middle East correspondent Caroline Hawley responded, saying that she does not feel like a 'woman reporter' when working in conflict zones such as Baghdad because there is essentially no real difference between male and female journalists out there.

The subject of discussion trampled on, I had doubts about the hour ahead of me. But what actually came out of the debate - which included Caroline Hawley, editorial director of Guardianfilms Maggie O'Kane and features writer Ann McFerran - was incredibly thought-provoking.

The most striking concept came from Maggie O'Kane, to the sound of gasps and sighs of disappointment rippling around the room. We are entering a new phase, she said. The era of the white European war reporter is over.

Instead of working through interpreters - putting them at risk, translating meaning, translating culture - we should train those interpreters and other talented, dedicated local people to cover events themselves. Locals have the cultural understanding, the language, and often better access than outsiders.

I agree. But only as long as reporters maintain their objectivity and professionalism. Outside perspectives, especially comment, can throw invaluable light on stories. But we have got to move away from the 'West is best' syndrome and give people in conflict zones the tools to tell the world what is happening themselves.

The other thing that hit home during the debate was the humanity. The women on the panel are self-confessed 'hardened' professionals. But all three had tears in their eyes relating the atrocities they had seen in Jordan, Sarajevo, Iraq, Darfur. That is not because they are women, but because they do their job and then, as Ann and Maggie described, start the 'cathartic' task of writing and feel the weight of trying to do justice to what they have experienced.