As the world celebrates the International Women’s Day, it provides an opportunity to recognise the achievements and contributions of women.
Thus, Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) celebrates Amal Khalifa Idris Habani, a Sudanese Journalist and Activist for her resilience in the pen profession amidst threats and harassment.
Amal khalifa Idris Habani is a freelance journalist and a human rights activist, contributor to the Sudanese news outlet AL-Taghyeer.
She is the co-founder of the local independent freedom group Sudanese Journalists Network, based in Khartoum.
She has repeatedly been harassed and detained by Sudanese authorities in connection with her coverage of protests and official wrong doing.
A Co-founder of ‘NO for Women Oppression,’ a social initiative established in 2009 that calls for change in Sudanese laws that discriminate and target women in Sudan.
In 2013 she was detained for days in an undisclosed location after she reported critically on the response to protest in Khartoum.
Habani received the Human Right Activists Award with the NO For Women Oppression initiative in 2014 from the EU mission in Sudan.
The Courageous Journalist was arrested in 2017 in connection with her coverage of trial of a human rights organisation, “After refusing to pay the fine and preferring to be jailed, she was released after crowd funding campaign raised the funds.
As part of her journey to document Human Rights Violations, she was arrested on 16th January 2018 near Jamhuria street for being part of the public demonstration addressing the prices of goods and the economic crisis facing Sudan.
She has also received recognition for her courageous opposition outside her country; In 2014 Amnesty international awarded her the prestigious Ginetta Sagan Prize. In 2018 she was among the journalists described as “The guardian” who was named Time Person of the Year, in an annual issue of the United States News Magazine.