“The courage of these women cuts through silence and fear. Journalism like their's doesn’t just inform — it defends democracy”
“The courage of these women cuts through silence and fear. Journalism like their's doesn’t just inform — it defends democracy”
The Courage in Journalism Awards honor these fearless women reportersFor more than three decades, IWMF has recognized women journalists who are risking their lives to report on the truth.
July 30, 2025
By Skyli Alvarez On July 1, the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) announced the recipients of its Courage in Journalism Awards. The 36th annual award recognizes women who have sought out and reported on the truth across the globe, particularly in challenging and hostile environments. This year's honorees are Afghan journalist Sana Atef, Brazilian investigative journalist Juliana Dal Piva, Sudanese British international broadcast journalist Yousra Elbagir, and American producer and writer Maritza L. Félix.
Atef, who reports under a pseudonym, writes for the non-state news outlet Zan Times on women's issues in Afghanistan, with a particular focus on harassment of women heads-of-households, forced marriages, child abuse, and more. Dal Piva has uncovered human rights abuses and corruption in Brazil, reporting for the Latin American Center for Journalistic Investigations (CLIP) and ICL Notícias. Elbagir is Sky News's Africa correspondent, having covered war zones and civil unrest across the continent. Félix is the founder and director of Spanish-language news service Conecta Arizona, where she focuses on cross-border populations in Mexico and social issues in Arizona. Lastly, Aynur Elgunesh, an Azerbaijani journalist and editor-in-chief of Meydan TV, received the Wallis Annenberg Justice for Women Journalists Award, which recognizes a reporter each year who is wrongfully imprisoned or detained. Elgunesh was arrested in December 2024, alongside five Meydan TV employees on false charges of smuggling. She remains in prison. “Each awardee has persevered to tell the stories of people who have been censored and repressed with care and fortitude," the 2025 awards selection committee said in a statement sent to Teen Vogue. Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue, Versha Sharma, is on the IWMF board of directors, but was not on the awards selection committee. "It is an honor to recognize these five women for their outstanding contributions to journalism.” As women and nonbinary reporters navigate growing threats to freedom of press in America and beyond, the Courage in Journalism Awards shine light upon the bravery it takes to resist such risks. “The IWMF honors Aynur, Juliana, Maritza, Sana and Yousra this year because of the lengths they’ve gone to report and the odds they’ve faced to cover issues that define today’s world,” IWMF Executive Director Elisa Lees Muñoz said in a statement. “In a time when press freedom is under siege, the courage of these women cuts through silence and fear. Journalism like their's doesn’t just inform — it defends democracy.” Content from International Women's Media
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