After the largest convening on gender equality in 2026 (Women Deliver Conference 2026) and ahead of 79th World Health Assembly and International Day of Action for Women's Health and Menstrual Hygiene Day, the Geneva-based Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) and CNS proudly announce the 4th Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026-2027.

SHE & Rights sessions are together being hosted by Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media) and CNS.

Why SHE & Rights Media Awards?

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 - and are indivisible - and 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 counter harmful narratives propounded by anti-rights and anti-gender backlashes - and - increase gender sensitive and rights-based media coverage to advance gender equality and human right to health.

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 legally binding CEDAW, Maputo Protocol, ICPD and Beijing Declaration to name a few.

1st Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2024-2025

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.

2nd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2025

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

3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026 was together hosted by the Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), Women Deliver Conference 2026 and CNS, and hybrid awards ceremony was successfully organised at Women Deliver Conference 2026 in Narrm (Melbourne), Australia on 29th April 2026. 3rd Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards had 351 applications from 29 countries worldwide in 5 languages. A 39-member panel of judges from 21 countries screened these entries.

4th Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026-2027

The Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) and CNS announce the 4th Edition of SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026-2027.

Those who have reported on issues raised by SHE & Rights sessions held during May 2026 to December 2026, 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.

Awards ceremony

Awards ceremony (hybrid) would be held around the 40th General Assembly of the African Union in February 2027.

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 in languages other than English will be considered if they are accompanied with English translation.

Every eligible entry must be based on the issues raised by one of the SHE & Rights sessions hosted between 1st May 2026 to 31st December 2026. For SHE & Rights session recordings, email us at editor@citizen-news.org

Only submissions that are published or broadcasted during 1st May 2026 and 31st December 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 May 2026

Award application process closes: 31st December 2026

Award Ceremony (hybrid) would be held around 40th General Assembly of African Union in February 2027.

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

Special category for media reports for countering the onslaught of anti-rights and anti-gender pushbacks such as 'draft charter'. This is open for media in Africa region only: 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes and 2 special mention prizes.

Apply now!

What does SHE & Rights Media Awards 2026 contain?

All winners will be felicitated at the virtual/hybrid SHE & Rights Media Awards Ceremony hosted around 40th General Assembly of the African Union in February 2027.

All winners will be sent an Award Certificate via email around International Women's Day, 8th March 2027.

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 around Women's Day.

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?

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?