Birgitte Jallov, the former CMFE President (2019-2021) will receive a in Washington DC on Sunday for her work to strengthen 'women and media'
The 'Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press', a women and media think tank in Washington DC, USA has selected Birgitte to receive an award at this year's ceremony for her work in strengthening women's opportunities to have a voice in the media. The institute's leadership (see picture) has emphasized that they want to present her this award precisely this year, where they celebrate the institute's 50th anniversary.
Birgitte's work in more than 70 countries has always combined a focus on the fact that women can and must have a role and a voice when the world is interpreted, and where the future is planned. She has done this by supporting local communities in many African and Asian countries in their work to create their own local community radio stations, where women have always been an equal and significant part of both planning, management and implementation; and she has been a mentor and coach when many small women's organizations had to find their way forward with strategic planning, inclusive management and sustainable frameworks.
Birgitte currently uses, among other things, time to support women journalists in Moldova build up a 'digital safe house': a one-stop shop where journalists can report when they experience online and offline harassment and threats of the worst kinds... At the moment it's mostly Putin's 'troll army' trying to scare especially female journalists from writing the truth about what is happening in Ukraine and what impact the war has on Moldova. In the digital safe house there is access to advice and counselling, to addresses where help can be found and to a supportive community. It is, among other things, this Birgitte will work with when in November she is involved as a speaker and workshop facilitator during the IAWRT biennial conference in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Birgitte runs EMPOWERHOUSE, an initiative she founded almost 20 years ago, as a framework for her work. In addition to advising, evaluating development projects, lecturing and training, Birgitte has written books, manuals, policy documents and articles about her work areas and experiences.