A female journalist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Solange Lusiku Nsimire, has won this year’s Courage in Journalism Award.

She won alongside two others: CNN Correspondent Arwa Damon and Serbia TV reporter, Brankica Stanković.

The award, which is in its 25th edition, is organized by the International Women’s Media Foundation, IWMF, and shines spotlight on the winners’ courage and promote the importance of free press.

“In many parts of the world, it takes courage to be a journalist,” IWMF said in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES.

Ms. Damon, who reports in the Middle East, has escaped crossfire, shelling, and bombing, and has withstood criticism from government entities for her reporting.

Ms. Nsimire is the target of ongoing threats and harassment.

She and her family have been attacked while she has fought numerous obstacles to continue publication of her newspaper.

Ms. Stanković is a target for continued attacks, including explicit death threats, forcing her to live under 24-hour police protection as she continues her rigorous investigative coverage of Serbia’s political and social ills.

The award ceremonies will be held in New York on October 22, and Los Angeles on October 28, this year.

The IWMF will also honor the life and memory of AP Photojournalist and 2005 Courage Award winner Anja Niedringhaus (1965-2014) with a special exhibit of her thought-provoking work and the launch of the new Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award.

The Award ceremony in New York will be live-streamed at: iwmf.org/livestream.

Founded in 1990 by a group of prominent U.S. women journalists, the International Women’s Media Foundation is a Washington-based organization that is dedicated to strengthening the role of women journalists worldwide.

The IWMF believes the news media worldwide are not truly free and representative without the equal voice of women. It thus celebrates the courage of women journalists who overcome threats and oppression to speak out on global issues.

The IWMF’s programmes empower women journalists with the training, support and network to become leaders in the news industry.