FY 2001-2002 Annual Report
About The IWMF

About the IWMF

After 12 years, the IWMF's mission remains strong: to strengthen the role of women in the news media, based on the belief that no press is truly free unless women share an equal voice.

Now in its 12th year, the International Women's Media Foundation has held programs for women journalists in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the former Soviet Union, as well as in the United States. The IWMF has made a priority of developing leadership and specialized training to help women in the media advance in their careers. In some countries, IWMF programs have been the only opportunities for training offered to women journalists.

Soon after it was formed, the IWMF established the Courage in Journalism Awards. The only awards program that honors the work of international women journalists, the Courage awards have become synonymous with the very best work that women journalists produce. Forty-one journalists from all parts of the globe have received Courage in Journalism Awards. Winners have faced ostracism, prison terms, beatings, rape and death threats. Still, they continue their dangerous work because they share a deep commitment to reporting the truth.

In 1997, the IWMF put down roots in Africa by establishing the African Women's Media Center in Dakar, Senegal. The only continent-wide organization for women journalists in Africa, the AWMC trains women journalists on that continent to become better journalists and leaders in their newsrooms. One of the most vibrant networks in Africa, the AWMC has established a reputation for practical, cost-effective, thorough programs and publications. It is guided by an advisory committee of top African women in the media and continues its innovative use of the Internet for training programs.

In 2000, the IWMF celebrated its 10th anniversary by hosting a meeting for women leaders in the international media. During five days of meetings, workshops and panel discussions with some of the most influential leaders in the international media, delegates to the International Leadership Conference networked, shared successes and sorrows, and vowed to stay in touch. The associations formed at that conference have led to an international online community of women leaders in the media.

Next, the IWMF reached out to Latin American women journalists. In 2000-2001 women journalists from throughout the region had the opportunity to help shape the IWMF's future involvement on that continent. They requested more communication with one another, more opportunities to network with other women journalists around the world and more training to help them excel in their profession. The IWMF is now engaged in plans to take the information it gained at these meetings and develop a long-term project in Latin America.

As the IWMF network grows, so do the resources available to people in the network. In 2001, the IWMF established a new look in cyberspace. With a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the IWMF completely overhauled its website, www.iwmf.org, and that of the African Women's Media Center, www.awmc.com. The new IWMF site features the latest news about women journalists, features about IWMF programs, stories about the network, an online training center and an online directory of international women journalists. The AWMC site, which is bilingual and links directly to the IWMF site, has stories written by African women journalists and resources for reporters on that continent. The new www.iwmf.org was launched with a series of chats held each day with top women in the media.

The IWMF continues to publish two newsletters, one electronic e-wire and three listserves, one for international leaders in the media, and one each for journalists in Africa and Latin America.

After 12 years, the IWMF's mission remains strong: To strengthen the role of women in the news media, based on the belief that no press is truly free unless women share an equal voice.