During #16DaysofActivism, ARTICLE 19 is proud to launch Equally Safe - a feminist approach to the safety of journalists.

To fully exercise their right to freedom of expression, women need to be equally able to share their ideas and opinions – online and offline – without censorship or fear of retaliation, which can drive them out of public debate.

ARTICLE 19 has found that women journalists face uniquely gendered risks – from workplace harassment to online rape threats and physical attacks. A gendered lens is vital to understand and mitigate these risks.

An intersectional feminist approach – one that accounts for these intersecting forms of oppression – is needed to enhance the safety of all women journalists, everywhere. 

ARTICLE 19’s new project, Equally Safe: Towards a Feminist Approach to the Safety of Journalists, offers new research, case studies from 6 countries, practical guidelines, and advocacy tools to end violence against women. They document women’s incredible resilience and explore how feminist solutions can drive change.

We believe these resources will help civil society, journalists, researchers, and policy makers to apply an intersectional feminist approach to ending violence against women everywhere.

On 21 November 2022, ARTICLE 19 took the second phase of its #FreeToProtest campaign global.  

When united to demand justice, the power of our voices can change the minds and hearts of millions.

Yet, instead of listening, many governments are attacking people who march, trying to silence these voices, and to prevent people from coming together. Weak laws are often misused to quell protests. Authorities and some media have demonised people who march, in an attempt to stigmatise the very act of protest. Worst of all, this repression is growing more violent, with police brutality and arrests of protesters on the rise. 

ARTICLE 19 is campaigning to ensure that all people, especially those who face discrimination, feel empowered to use their right to protest. We will call on the police, the media, and on policymakers to end police brutality at protests, humanise protesters, and to reform laws to make protest safer for everyone.

November also saw ARTICLE 19 launch The Power of our Voices, our new four-year strategy to defend and protect freedom of expression around the world.

We know that, when united to demand justice, the voices of millions can topple ruthless dictators, expose corruption, blow the whistle on Big Tech, and change discriminatory laws.  

And we know that the voices of millions can cause an avalanche. 

Our strategy sets out how, over the next 4 years, ARTICLE 19 will define a new digital era for freedom of expression; protect, empower, and connect silenced voices and dissent; and advance law and policy to strengthen and protect expression. Most importantly, it outlines how we will harness the experience, knowledge, passion, and tenacity of the free expression movement to build a world where everyone – everywhere – can realise the power of their voices.

It is only when we have the right information and the ability to debate ideas freely that we can solve the biggest challenges of our time.  

Over the past two years, there has been an alarming retreat from the defence of women’s reproductive rights. Poland introduced a near total ban on abortion in 2020. In the US, the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade last summer, ending the constitutional right to abortion after nearly 50 years. 

But this sea change has triggered remarkable protest movements. For this podcast, part of the Boundaries of Expression series, Jo Glanville and Nicola Kelly speak to Marta Lempart, founder of the Polish Women’s Strike, which was at the vanguard of the nationwide protests. 

In Iran, the death of Mahsa Amini in September sparked unprecedented demonstrations across the Islamic Republic, after she was arrested by the morality police for not following the obligatory dress code. ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ is the slogan of the protest movement. But this uprising has also become a call for wider radical change, as the government cracks down on the demonstrations. We hear from Maziar Bahari, founder of IranWire – the first outlet to break the story of Mahsa Amini’s death. 

Also in the series: Jo Glanville and Nicola Kelly speak to climate activists about the risks they face fighting to protect the planet in the lead up to the United Nations conference on climate change in Egypt, COP27.

Plus: The global implications for freedom of expression following the the US decision to end the constitutional right to abortion.  

• ARTICLE 19's Regional Office for Mexico and Central America continues to face threats from the government. This prompted the International Board to hold its biannual meeting in Mexico as an act of solidarity with the staff and their work for freedom of expression in the region.  

• Hong Kong: The trial of Jimmy Lai, pro-democracy activist and publisher of Apple Daily, has been delayed until 13 December. ARTICLE 19 reiterates its call for his immediate and unconditional release. 
  
  

• As part of 16 Days of Activism, we celebrate women human rights defenders and journalists in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and Europe.

You can now help to strengthen freedom of expression across the globe by giving to ARTICLE 19!

Working in human rights is a challenging but rewarding career choice. With ARTICLE 19 you will find an international community of activists, legal specialists, and experts working together to protect basic freedoms. 

Climate change, new podcasts, and the UK's Online Safety Bill back in parliament