Project profile — Protection and security of women journalists and human rights defenders

This project aims to increase protection for women journalists and human rights defenders who speak out about issues of sexual and gender-based violence in the Middle East and Sudan. Project activities include: 1) providing training to women journalists and human rights defenders on measures to protect themselves; 2) providing better access, improving tools and skills, and ensuring compliance with moral and ethical standards for reporting, so that women journalists and human rights defenders can become agents of change and continue to tell important stories; 3) Helping journalists and citizen journalists (both men and women) to report on issues related to women and sexual and gender-based violence in a safe manner; 4) Raising awareness among men and women in the media sector about women's rights and sexual and gender-based violence.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) enhanced quality and ethical reporting by journalists and human rights defenders on sexual and gender-based violence in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Sudan; and (2) wider engagement by media and civil society in responding to critical situations of sexual and gender-based violence in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Sudan.

Results achieved at the end of the project (May 2019) include: (1) successfully enhanced the quality and ethical reporting on sexual and gender-based violence by journalists and human rights defenders in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Sudan; and (2) increased engagement in responding to critical situations of sexual and gender-based violence by civil society and media in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Sudan.