Indian cartoonist Rachita Taneja and Hong Kong's cartoonist Zunzi were awarded the biennial Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award on World Press Freedom Day. Taneja's webcomic Sanitary Panels, which tackles subjects like harassment, homophobia, menstruation, and authoritarianism, has put her under threat of a prison sentence. Zunzi was dismissed by his newspaper in 2023 due to China's national security laws. The award ceremony was accompanied by an exhibition of press cartoons opened by Iranian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi. The exhibition highlights the role of women in the fight for freedom and the challenges faced by female cartoonists globally. The exhibition focuses on women's rights, ongoing wars, and artificial intelligence. UN human rights chief Volker Turk called for the protection of journalists and the right to hold those in power accountable. India ranks 159th and Hong Kong ranks 135th in the 2024 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. [c4f1c58a]
The event highlighted the role of women cartoonists and the challenges they face. The UN human rights chief called for the protection of journalists and accountability for attacks against them. The exhibition focuses on women's rights, ongoing wars, and artificial intelligence [2be2f9a6].