Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IWMF's mission?
Why is the International Women's Media Foundation needed?
How does the IWMF work to implement its vision?
Why create a worldwide network of women in the news media?
Why create training programs for women journalists?
What is the IWMF’s history?
What are the IWMF Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement Awards?
How does the IWMF select Courage in Journalism Award winners?
Does the IWMF give grants?
How can I support the IWMF?
Can I become a member of the IWMF?
Does the IWMF have student memberships?
What is the IWMF's mission?
The IWMF believes the news media world-wide are not truly free and representative without the equal voice of women. The IWMF celebrates the courage of women journalists who overcome threats and oppression to speak out on global issues. The IWMF's programs empower women journalists with the training, support and network to become leaders in the news industry.
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Why is the International Women's Media Foundation needed?
Women have reached the proverbial glass ceiling in the news media. A study done by the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 2006 showed that the number of women executives in the U.S. hasn’t budged since 2000; they are only 29 percent of newspaper executives. Part of the reason could be that women are frustrated with their progress. A 2002 study by the American Press Institute and the Pew Center for Civic Journalism documented a “brain drain” among women who didn’t anticipate moving up in their organizations and thought they might leave journalism. The study also called for more mentoring and coaching by women journalists.
In March 2000, the IWMF polled international women leaders in the media. A significant majority - 92 percent - who responded to the informal survey agreed that women bring a different, more "human" perspective to the news. Women journalists from six continents also said that their presence in the news business makes a difference, at least some of the time, in how the news is covered.
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How does the IWMF work to implement its vision?
The IWMF strengthens the role of women in the news media worldwide using four core strategies:
Building a Vibrant Network – The IWMF’s growing global network enables women who work in the news media to join together in new ways and share ideas, resources, strategies and career advice. The network also joins together to support women journalists in danger around the world.
Cultivating Effective Leaders – The IWMF provides women journalists around the world with the tools they need to become effective leaders in the news media. These tools include specialized training, leadership development and networking opportunities. The IWMF is expanding its sponsorship of leadership institutes for women journalists so that women can become decision-makers in the news media.
Pioneering Change – The IWMF is a proven partner for change that improves lives and has pioneered specific programs around the world to improve the quality and consistency of reporting on central societal issues such as health and economic development.
The IWMF’s Maisha Yetu project revolutionized newsroom training. The project, created in 2002 with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, worked with six news media companies in Botswana, Kenya and Senegal to enhance the quality and consistency of reporting on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Using the Maisha Yetu project as a model, the IWMF has begun a new project to enhance the coverage of agriculture, rural development and women in the African media. Funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the project will increase and enhance reporting on these issues and women’s roles in them.
The IWMF also pioneers change by creating opportunities for women journalists to grow and expand their careers. Perpetuating the memory of Elizabeth Neuffer, a 1998 Courage in Journalism Award winner who was killed in Iraq in 2003, the IWMF, working with the friends and family of Elizabeth Neuffer, created the Elizabeth Neuffer IWMF Fund.
Honoring Courage – The IWMF advocates for women journalists worldwide and calls attention to their courageous work. Each year, the IWMF highlights the courage required to report the news in many parts of the world with the Courage in Journalism Awards.
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Why create a worldwide network of women in the news media?
Women in the media are isolated, both from one another and from the traditional networks that men in the media use to get ahead in their profession. In order to advance in their careers, journalists need to take advantage of professional training opportunities. Still, women journalists responding to IWMF polls and those who have attended IWMF programs have consistently said that they must struggle to gain access to leadership and career development training. Journalists have declined opportunities to participate in IWMF training, even though it was offered free of charge, because their supervisors would not grant permission for them to attend. The IWMF network was created to help women in the media share professional information and support one another, as well as to provide access to the latest research and statistics on women in the news media.
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Why create training programs for women journalists only?
Too often, women in the media do not have access to the training opportunities they need to move ahead in their profession. In addition, a one-size-fits-all approach to media training does not take into account the different work experiences, as well as the different personal and professional demands, that women in the media face. By creating programs designed specifically with women's lives in mind, the IWMF is giving women in the news media an opportunity to acquire the skills and experience they need to excel as journalists and media managers.
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What is the IWMF’s history?
The IWMF was founded in 1990 when a group of prominent women journalists gathered in Washington, D.C., for an international conference, News in the Nineties. At that time, the countries of the East Bloc and the former Soviet Union were grappling with establishing new democracies and instituting the free press institutions that are an essential part of a democracy. The world had become a much smaller place, linked by 24-hour news channels with almost instant access to information. The Internet was in its infant phase, with implications for worldwide communications. In this climate, the journalists who gathered from 50 countries for the conference saw the need for an organization that would link women journalists around the world, and provide them with information, networking and training opportunities.
To mark its tenth anniversary in 2000, the IWMF hosted an international conference for women media leaders in Washington, D.C. More than 100 women from 60 countries spent three days examining the impact of women on the news media, exploring the future of the media and strategizing about where women in the media are headed, both personally and professionally.
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What are the IWMF Courage in Journalism and Lifetime Achievement Awards?
Created in 1990, the IWMF's Courage in Journalism Awards honor the courage of international women journalists who show extraordinary strength of character and integrity while reporting the news under difficult and dangerous circumstances. The Courage Awards highlight the importance of freedom of the press and the bravery required in many parts of the world to report the news.
Recipients of the Courage in Journalism Awards risk their lives to report the news. Braving political pressure, war, violence and often threats to their families and themselves, they unearth corruption and human rights abuses and give voice to the victims of war and other atrocities.
The IWMF also recognizes a woman journalist who has a pioneering spirit and whose determination has paved the way for women in the news media with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Each year more than 1,000 IWMF supporters gather for ceremonies in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to honor the Courage and Lifetime Achievement Award winners.
The Courage in Journalism Awards help to turn a spotlight on the work of brave, uncompromising journalists. They also help turn a harsh light on the countries and conflicts in which those journalists work. In calling attention to both the world's conflicts and the women who cover them, the IWMF offers a mantle of protection to the awardees and encourages all journalists working in difficult and challenging circumstances.
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How does the IWMF select Courage in Journalism Award winners?
The IWMF accepts nominations for the Courage in Journalism Awards each year from January 1 - March 15. Nomination forms are available on the IWMF Web site during that time. Women journalists working in any media in any part of the world can be nominated. Awardees must demonstrate commitment to journalism as a profession and dedication to the highest standards of truth in reporting. They must be able to show a consistent, continuing body of work. Winners are selected each year by a panel of prominent journalists and IWMF board members from a pool of some 50 nominations. Awards ceremonies for the Courage in Journalism Awards are held in October, when some 1,000 IWMF supporters gather in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to honor three Courage Award winners and one Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
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Does the IWMF give grants?
The IWMF is not a funding organization and does not give grants.
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How can I support the IWMF?
The IWMF relies on donations from foundations, corporations and individuals to carry out its programs. Donations support individual training programs, outreach to women around the world and the IWMF's general operations.
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Can I become a member of the IWMF?
Yes. We invite everyone to join the IWMF network. (Click through to Join/Donate pages.)
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Does the IWMF have student memberships?
The IWMF does not have student memberships, but any student can become a member.
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