3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards


To mark Human Rights Day (last day of 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence) and Universal Health Coverage Day, the Geneva-based Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) and CNS proudly announce the 3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026.

Why SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026?

There cannot be a socially just and ecologically sustainable future for our human race and planet if we leave women and gender diverse peoples behind. Gender equality and right to health are fundamental human rights which cannot be dislocated from other SDGs. We must challenge and dismantle existing patriarchal power structures of inequality and discrimination and replace them with a socially and ecologically just social order where there are equal rights and equitable opportunities for everyone.

With rising anti-rights pushbacks against gender equality, right to health, and human rights, it is becoming critically important to increase gender sensitive and rights-based media coverage. Media has the power to shift narratives towards SDG-3 and SDG-5, raise peoples’ conscientiousness, shape public opinions, and mobilise policy makers to effectively respond towards accelerating progress on SDG-3, SDG-5 and other SDG goals and targets, and commitments such as those enshrined in CEDAW, ICPD and Beijing Declaration.


With this driving intent, we successfully organised 1st Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards (September 2024-March 2025) with the hybrid award ceremony held around 78th World Health Assembly at a Side Event in Geneva. During September 2024 to March 2025, there were 282 applications from 21 countries based on issues raised by monthly SHE & Rights sessions, and an 11-member panel of judges screened these entries.



Building further upon this effort, the Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025), Family Planning News Network (FPNN), and CNS successfully organised 2nd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards, with the hybrid award ceremony held at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025) in Bogota, Colombia. 2nd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards had 369 applications from 32 countries worldwide in 6 languages. A 28-member panel of judges from 17 countries screened these entries.



3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026 seeks to acknowledge and honour journalists and other media actors from African and Asia Pacific regions who have reported and helped put the spotlight on issues raised by SHE & Rights sessions held every month during 1st December 2025 to 31st March 2026.

Virtual/hybrid SHE & Rights Media Awards ceremony would be held at Women Deliver Conference 2026 in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia.

Those who have reported on issues raised by SHE & Rights sessions during the abovementioned period and promoted and walked-the-talk on responsible journalism through their evidence-based, gender sensitive, people-centred and rights-based news reports, feature stories, opinion pieces, blog posts, photo stories, or other forms of impactful storytelling and media communications, are most welcome to apply.

Eligibility Criteria: Who can participate?

  • The awards are open to all journalists and other media actors (print, online, radio, television, podcast, blog, social media influencer with minimum 10,000 followers/ subscribers on social media platforms), among others) from any country in African and Asia Pacific regions. Entries from outside of Africa and Asia Pacific regions will be considered if they are in English or accompanied with English translation (google translation is okay).
  • Every eligible entry must be based on the issues raised by one of the SHE & Rights sessions hosted between 1st December 2025 to 31st March 2026. For SHE & Rights session recordings, email us at editor@citizen-news.org
  • Only submissions that are published or broadcasted during 1st December 2025 and 31st March 2026 are eligible. These can include articles, news reports, features, blog posts, photo stories, TV or radio broadcasts, documentaries, podcasts, or online social media content.
  • If the content is in a language other than English, it should be accompanied by an English translation along with the original article/ broadcast.
  • More than one entry can be submitted by an applicant. Each entry will be judged separately.
  • Entrants should show proof of publication of their submissions.
  • Audio and video submissions should be in a  widely and readily accessible format such as .mp3, .mp4 and .mov, among others.
  • Gender insensitive reporting or other media reports which promote anti-rights push or harmful narratives against gender equality and human rights will not be eligible for these awards.
  • Those who are associated with award management (such as CNS) are not eligible to apply. If they apply, we will exclude their entries from judging process.

Important dates

  • Award application process opens: 1st December 2025
  • Award application process closes: 31st March 2026 (5pm Geneva time)
  • Awardees will be informed by third week of April 2026
  • Virtual/hybrid SHE & Rights Media Awards ceremony will be held at Women Deliver Conference 2026 in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia.

SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026 categories
  • African regional category: 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes, and 2 special mention prizes
  • Asia Pacific regional category: 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes and 2 special mention prizes
  • There could be more categories added which we will update here as well as on social media (regional or thematic categories for example).

What does SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026 contain?

All winners will be felicitated at the virtual/hybrid SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony hosted at Women Deliver Conference 2026 in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia.

All winners will be sent an Award Certificate via email after Women Deliver Conference 2026.

Winning entries will also be featured on the website and social media platforms of CNS (and we will encourage partners to do so too).

Every eligible media participant/ contestant will be acknowledged with a Certificate of Participation which will be sent via email after Women Deliver Conference 2026.

SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony

3rd Edition of virtual/hybrid SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony 2026 would be hosted at the Women Deliver Conference in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia - hybrid/ virtual.

Selection Process

Entries will be judged by an independent panel of judges with demonstrated leadership in the field of gender equality and human rights, and/or gender-sensitive journalism. The decision of the panel of judges will be final.

What will the Judges be looking for?

The judging panel will finalise the evaluation criteria; however, the following points will be included.
  • Balanced reporting
    • Is the reporting grounded in feminism, gender equality and human rights?
    • Is the reporting not patronising patriarchy directly or indirectly?
    • Has the journalist spoken to different sources (or right experts, or survivors where needed)?
  • Accuracy of information
    • Are statements attributed to experts in the reporting accurate? (SHE & Rights session recordings and transcripts are online to verify)
    • Are data or references used effectively to make a case for gender equality and human rights?
  • Impact and value
    • Is the article providing important/ relevant/ contextual information for the reader?
    • Is it timely? (such as Human Rights Day, UHC Day, Women's Day, CSW70, UN HLM around CSW70, etc)
  • Language
    • Does the writing exhibit independence, impartiality, coherence, simplicity, clarity?
    • Does the language enhance the key points in the story?
    • Is the language ethical, rights-based, people-centred and gender-sensitive?

Be welcome to apply!

  • Should you have any queries or require further assistance, please contact:
    • Shobha Shukla
      • Host and Coordinator, SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights)
      • Founder, Executive Director and Managing Editor, CNS
      • President, Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media) and Chairperson, Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA)
      • Email: editor@citizen-news.org | WhatsApp +91-9415785055