Awards
AFP honoured twice at the 2023 Human Rights Press Awards
AFP's exceptional reporting on "The Defiant Women of Afghanistan" won first place in the Breaking News (English) category at the 2023 Human Rights Press Awards.
AFP is one of the few remaining media with an international presence in Afghanistan. This coverage, a joint effort by AFP's bureaus in Kabul and Islamabad, illustrates the agency's commitment to reporting in Afghanistan and on the plight of women there. It was part of the AFP package marking the one-year anniversary of the Taliban's return to power, showcased here.
> Read "'Proud and strong': Solo protest against Taliban university ban"
AFP also won honourable mention in the Photography (Series) category for the dramatic images captured by AFP's Colombo-based Ishara S. Kodikara on May 8-9, 2022, as anger over Sri Lanka's unprecedented economic crisis sparked violent clashes between protesters and the government's supporters.
The Human Rights Press Awards, administered by Human Rights Watch and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, seek to increase respect for basic rights and draw attention to threats to those freedoms. They also aim to recognise and encourage excellent, investigative and original reporting on important issues in the mass media.