IWMF pleased to be among Atlantic Council 2018 Freedom Awardees

IWMF only NGO to be recognized among other winners including Dr. Madeleine Albright, 64th US Secretary of State; Aryana Sayeed, Afghan singer and activist, and Bana Alabed, Syrian activist and author  

[BERLIN: June 23, 2018] — The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is pleased to be the only NGO to be recognized for the Atlantic Council Freedom Award joining other winners including Dr. Madeleine Albright, 64th US Secretary of State; Aryana Sayeed, Afghan singer and activist, and Bana Alabed, Syrian activist and author at the annual Freedom Awards on June 23 in Berlin, Germany.

“Since 1990 IWMF has been dedicated to promoting freedom of the press and media diversity. We are usually on the other side of giving awards to members of the press who are taking on tremendous risks to cover the world’s most important stories. To us, the true winners of the freedom awards are those dedicated journalists who bring us some of the world’s most important and underreported stories,” said IWMF Executive Director Elisa Lees Muñoz. “As we witness the border crisis and political claims to discredit the media, freedom of the press and diversity of media couldn’t be more important.”

This is the 10th anniversary of the Freedom Awards in Berlin this year. The Atlantic Council Freedom Awards recognize extraordinary individuals and organizations that defend and advance the cause of freedom around the world. Inaugurated in Berlin on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, the 2009 Freedom Awards recognized the efforts of the American, German, Polish, Czech, and Slovak people, as well as the allied troops of NATO, to bring about a peaceful end to the Cold War.

The International Women’s Media Foundation will be celebrated for its leadership in supporting and advancing the critical work of women journalists during a time of the me too movement and increasing attacks on journalists around the world.

The 2018 Freedom Awards will be hosted alongside the Atlantic Council’s 360/OS Open Source Summit, which will bring together journalists, activists, innovators, and policymakers from around the world for interactive sessions and hands-on trainings to explore one of the new frontiers of freedom, the digital space.

More information on the Atlantic Council Freedom Awards and event livestreaming can be found here or on twitter at #ACAwards. Follow event announcements and IWMF news on social media: @IWMF on Twitter, @IWMFpage on Facebook, @TheIWMF on Instagram).

About the IWMF 
Since 1990, the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has worked to unleash the potential of women journalists to transform the global news media. Through our programs and grants, we help ensure that women journalists worldwide are fully supported, protected, and recognized for their vital contributions to the news media at all levels, and to global press freedom as well. By empowering women journalists to become leaders in their fields, we aim to increase demand for news with a diversity of voices, stories, and perspectives, as a cornerstone of democracy. Learn more at www.iwmf.org.