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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Google honoured the online journalists of the women's rights website we-change on 12 March with the first “Netizen Prize”, a new annual award for those who defend freedom of expression online. RSF's report on “Internet Enemies” was released on the same day.
Parvin Ardalan from we-change accepted the award at Google's Paris offices. The Iranian women's movement has always shown resistance… Now the movement is bringing its experience and methods of working democratically into cyberspace.
The we-change website has been a supporter of a virtual campaign called One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws. The campaign calls for putting an end to discrimination against women in Iranian law. It is a follow-up to the peaceful protest of the same aim, which took place on 12 June, 2006 in Haft-e Tir Square in Tehran.
Here is a video film where we-change introduces its aims and history:
Parvin Ardalan also won an Olaf Palme Prize in 2007, but the Iranian government did not permit her to leave country to accept it in person. She recorded this message on You Tube.
Meanwhile several Iranian bloggers including Shiva Nazarahari, a female blogger and human rights activist, have been jailed since the 12 June presidential election.
Many congratulations to the women of we-change. their courage and their awareness of the power of citizen journalism is inspiring.