For democracy to thrive, we need journalism to survive.
For 35 years, the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage in Journalism Awards have recognized remarkable women and nonbinary journalists who persist to report despite incredible odds.
In 2024, journalists are enduring more risks than ever to report, including physical and online violence, state-sponsored threats, armed conflicts and natural disasters – and women and nonbinary journalists are disproportionately impacted. In the face of war, censorship, attack and detention, this year’s awardees have continued pursuing the truth and bringing vital information to light.
Shin Daewe is one of Myanmar’s pioneering women documentary filmmakers, covering political, environmental and social issues in her country. Following prior detentions in 1990 and 1991, Daewe was sentenced to life in prison in 2024 for allegedly, “funding and assisting terrorists,” and was charged behind closed doors by a military tribunal without access to legal representation. This is the most severe sentence given to a journalist since the junta regained power in February 2021.
