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CFWIJ supports women and LGBTQ
journalists around the world.

Women journalists are exposing truth, shaking up power dynamics and bringing dictators to justice with intrepid, bold and courageous journalism.

But this journalism often comes at a cost. Each year, hundreds of women journalists face abuse and impediments for doing their job, including harassment, smear campaigns, detentions, intimidations, imprisonment, and even murder. The Coalition For Women In Journalism fosters and supports camaraderie between women journalists around the globe. Since 2019, the CFWIJ has supported and advocated for more than 2,000 women journalists who encountered such circumstances across 128 countries. You can join us in this mission by donating or volunteering and help elevate change-driven courageous journalism.

Programs and Initiatives

  • CFWIJ Emergency Relief

    The CFWIJ Emergency Relief work includes advocacy support and a survival fund that helps women journalists from the most vulnerable backgrounds. This year alone, CFWIJ work has led to more than 600 evacuations, relocations, legal support and mental health therapy for women and LGBTQ journalists from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iran, Mexico, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Turkey.

  • Press Freedom Newsroom

    Our advocacy is based on our monitoring and, research, some of which can be found in our Press Freedom Newsroom, which reports from 128 countries. Alongside the press freedom monitoring and reporting globally, we are often involved in exploring ways to support work revolving around safety and equity issues journalists from diverse backgrounds face, both within the newsroom and out in the field.

  • Mentorship

    CFWIJ pioneered a one of a kind mentorship program dedicated to improve work and life of mid-career women journalists around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women and LGBTQ journalists. Our mentorship members in 2021 published in leading newsrooms including NYT, the Guardian, BBC, DW and won prestigious awards including the Pulitzer Prize.

  • Mental Health Support

    Mental health has been part CFWIJ's work from the very start - part and parcel of many of our projects focused of development and safety for journalists. This year we launched a dedicated initiative that offers tools, and an open platform for women journalists to share their experience and needs. We recognize that mentally healthy journalists have better tools to navigate the newsroom, industry and their mission to tell amazing stories.

  • Peer Support

    As a part of our global support for women and LGBTQ+ journalists, we have established varied peer-support programs across 12 countries which cover the most critical regions. Through our peer support work journalist, and mentors share knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical knowledge with each other. CFWIJ has a global network that includes more than 1500 journalists around the world. These peer support groups across many countries help to create spaces for women journalists where they can be nurtured, stay safe, and expand their skills.

Everyday, at least four women journalists are targeted and subjected to violence.

CFWIJ is working hard to change these circumstances.

Journalist Testimonials

  • “I could have been imprisoned again, maybe even tortured I’m sure, if CFWIJ did not help me come to safety. My government has arrested so many of my colleagues who are doing what every journalist deserves: ability to question and write freely. CFWIJ has helped many of my colleagues persecuted under this regime."

    S.M., Iranian journalist in exile
    Relocated by CFWIJ

  • "Last year, I was called by an accountant who asked me to leave as I was no longer needed. When I inquired about my pending salaries, he assured me to clear the pending salaries in a week. It’s been more than six months, and I was still waiting. There was a lot of support from the CFWIJ. Thankfully, my backdated paychecks were finally paid by Daily Jinnah."

    Nargiz Janjua, Pakistani journalist

  • “I don’t recall any organization or non-profit that is solely focused on the risks and dangers that female journalists face doing their job before the Coalition For Women In Journalism.”

    Bukalo Adebayo,
    Nigerian journalist

  • “The Coalition For Women In Journalism has been documenting the harassment and intimidation of female journalists around the world which helps highlight the various challenges they face. Networks like CFWIJ, therefore, play an important role in pressuring the authorities to act and protect journalists.”

    Ailia Zehra, Pakistani journalist