Jordanian radio journalist and editor Etaf Roudan, who has dedicated her career to championing women’s issues, is this year’s Arab Region Women in News (WIN) Editorial Leadership Award Laureate.
“This award is particularly important for me, and for my daughters, because I always push them to work to become strong women in the future,” she said in her acceptance speech to WIN.
The annual WIN laureate award recognises outstanding women media leaders from the Arab Region and Sub-Saharan Africa who show excellence in leadership and are committed to equality and press freedom.
Roudan is the director of Radio al-Balad where she also anchors a programme intersecting society, women and politics.
WAN-IFRA CEO Vincent Peyrègne said Etaf has played an important role in shaping the media landscape in Jordan.
“Her leadership and championing of other women has changed the face of journalism. Her work has enabled greater participation from women ensuring their stories are heard in shaping public debate,” he said in a statement.
Between 2012 and 2016, Roudan trained nearly 75 women from the Al Zarqa region in Jordan. This was when she headed a journalism and media programme to help equip women to take part in decision-making processes.
She joins Zambian media executive Mary Mbewe as a 2020 WIN laureate. Other laureates from the Arab region are Karima Kamal from Egypt (2017), Noura al-Hourani from Syria (2018) and Acil Tabbara from Lebanon (2019).
Tabbara said women have increased their presence and visibility in the Arab media over the years.
“But their accomplishments are not always recognised or rewarded and their way to the top echelons of news organisations still remains more difficult than male peers,” she said in a statement.
Roudan said the WIN laureate award motivates women in media to work effortlessly despite the many challenges they may face.
“This award motivates everyone, especially the new generation, to work with passion and honesty to harvest similar outcomes,” she said.
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