Around the world, women and nonbinary journalists are killed, assaulted, threatened and defamed – simply for doing their jobs. The IWMF works quickly and holistically to support journalists in need through emergency assistance, training and trauma support.

Emergency Assistance

Journalists face real dangers as a result of their reporting, which is why the IWMF offers several emergency funds, including our Emergency Fund for Women Journalists and the Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund. We are also an active member of the Journalists in Distress (JID) Network. In 2022, the IWMF granted more than $483,000 to 191 journalists in need.

Training and Resources

We’re committed to keeping women and nonbinary journalists safe, both in-person and online. Our trainings are identity-centric, because we know how identities impact the risks women and

nonbinary journalists face in the field and in the newsroom. In 2022, we trained 530 journalists and 20 newsrooms globally.

Our in-person Hostile Environment and First Aid Trainings (HEFATs) offer women and nonbinary journalists practical tactics to improve their situational awareness, self-defense and first aid skills. The IWMF also conducts virtual physical safety workshops for groups and newsrooms, as well as 1:1 consultations for journalists facing imminent risk.

To combat the surge of  abuse against journalists online the IWMF provides group and newsroom digital safety training. As the founder of the Coalition Against Online Violence, we have worked to aggregate coalition member resources on the Online Violence Response Hub. The IWMF has also created “A Guide to Protecting Newsrooms and Journalists Against Online Violence” to help newsrooms navigate online violence toward their employees. Learn more on our Online Violence and Harassment page.

Trauma Support

Many journalists experience trauma in relation to their work – from covering conflict zones, experiencing workplace discrimination, reporting on violence and injustice, and myriad other scenarios. In addition to offering emergency funding for mental healthcare, the IWMF maintains several resources to help journalists protect their wellbeing, including “A Mental Health Guide for Journalists Experiencing Online Abuse.”