IWMF - International Women's Media Foundation

IWMF Global Report on Status of Women Unveiled at International Conference

The IWMF released a long-awaited global research report on the status of women at the International Conference of Women News Leaders in Washington, D.C.
Top women executives at the conference drafted plans to improve the status of women in their home countries, and heard from industry leaders about the state of the global media. Learn more.

4-Year Africa Project

With generous support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the IWMF launched "Reporting on Agriculture and Women: Africa." The project energized the way African media cover one of the most important topics on the continent.

The IWMF helped African journalists to boost coverage of agriculture and rural development and increase women’s voices – both as journalists and as sources – in stories about agriculture

Global Research on Women

The IWMF is working on ground-breaking research on the status of women in the media worldwide. The new study, the Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media, will measure the career progress of women in the news media and use the results to help advocate for change.

The IWMF also tracks past studies on women in the news media, and will draw from this prior work in compiling the Global Report, which will be published in 2011.

4-Year Africa Project

With generous support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the IWMF launched "Reporting on Agriculture and Women: Africa." The project is energizing the way African media cover one of the most important topics on the continent.
The IWMF is helping African journalists to boost coverage of agriculture and rural development and increase women’s voices – both as journalists and as sources – in stories about agriculture

IWMF Luncheon

Christiane Amanpour, an IWMF board member and CNN anchor, spoke about reporting across the globe at an IWMF luncheon March 16 in New York. The luncheon was co-hosted by IWMF board member Cindi Leive, editor-in-chief of Glamour magazine.

Alana Barton

Research and Training Coordinator

May Chidiac, a Lebanese journalist who won a 2006 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, was named a winner of the International Press Institute’s Award for Press Bravery. Chidiac lost her left hand and leg in when a bomb exploded in her car. She believes the attack came as a result of her criticism of Syria’s involvement in Lebanon. Read more on the IPI Web site.

Media Pioneer

IWMF board member Raghida Dergham received the Media Pioneer award March 9 at the Nissa’ Arab World Festival in Lebanon. Dergham, a journalist at Al Hayat, was presented with her award by minister of state Mona Afeish.

IWMF Board Member Leaves CNN, Joins ABC

Christiane Amanpour, an IWMF board member, will be the new anchor of ABC News’ This Week starting in August. Amanpour, a 1994 winner of an IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, has been a reporter and anchor for CNN for more than two decades. Read more about Amanpour’s new position.

Sandhya Srinivasan, an India journalist who participated in the IWMF’s South Asia Initiative on Women and HIV/AIDS Policymaking, wrote an article about the difficulties women and children in particular face when living with HIV/AIDS. Read Srinivasan ‘s article.

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is offering twenty fellowships for an all-expenses-paid seminar on "Covering the Green Economy," to be held June 28-30 in Arizona. Application deadline is April 26. Read more or apply.

IWMF Courage Award Winner Dies

Margaret Moth, a 1992 winner of an IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, died March 21 of cancer. Moth, a New Zealand native who worked as a camerawoman for CNN, survived being hit by a sniper’s bullet in Sarajevo in 1992. Read more in The Washington Post.

Iranian Journalist Amoyee Released

Bahman Ahmadi Amoyee, the husband of 2009 Courage in Journalism Award winner Jila Baniyaghoob, was released from prison. Amoyee had been held since the post-elections protests last June in Iran. Read more in The New York Times.

Liz Carpenter, a newspaper reporter, an aide to Lyndon B. Johnson when he was vice president and press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson during her years in the White House, died March 20. She was 89. Carpenter was a founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus and joint chairwoman of ERAmerica, an organization that unsuccessfully fought for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. Read the New York Times article.

A play will commemorate the life of 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Molly Ivins, who died of cancer in 2007. “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins” will open March 24 in Philadelphia. Read the New York Times article.

Campaign to Free Iranian Journalists

The IWMF has joined other press freedom organizations in an international campaign to free journalists in Iran, where 52 are being held in prison. Among them is the husband of Courage Award winner Jila Baniyaghoob. Sign a petition at Our Society Will Be a Free Society.

Police Break Into Iryna Khalip's Flat

Police broke into Courage winner Iryna Khalip’s flat on March 16. After searching for three hours, they confiscated CDs and DVDs and a borrowed laptop. Khalip’s laptop had already been seized. Sign a petition on behalf of Kahlip.

Women Invisible in Media

Writing in the UN Chronicle, IWMF Executive Director Liza Gross says women are still invisible in the media. Read the article.

Iryna Khalip's Laptop Seized

Returning to Belarus from a trip to Lithuania, Courage winner Iryna Khalip was questioned by border police, who seized her laptop. Read more.