Centar, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
$200 - $500 / Day
Geographical experience: former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia (currently based in Macedonia) Myanmar, China; Experience in: freelance feature and news journalist, editor, subeditor, photographer, researcher, fixer; media monitoring; Interests: human interest stories, features, the rights of women, refugees, IDPs, migrants; freedom of expression; Languages: English, Russian, Polish (fluent); Spanish, German, French (rusty A-levels); Farsi, Italian (beginner), English shorthand; Training experience: building capacity of local journalists in reporting ‘difficult’ topics and in interviewing techniques; Education: NVQ4 in newspaper journalism (N. Ireland); LL.M in Human Rights and Criminal Justice (dissertation in Freedom of Expression and Other Problems faced by Journalists in the Former Soviet Union); Awards: Finalist of The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition (2012), McKenzie Prize for news writing (Northern Ireland, 2008), UNDP award for articles on gender;
I started researching the topic of cross-dressing among Afghan boys and girls when working with Afghan refugees in Tajikistan. I did some digging, and in the end I entered The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition, and reached the final. As a finalist I was sent to Malawi to report on reproductive health issues.
My work in human rights prompted me to look deeper into the plight of migrant workers and their families – especially women left behind. Labour migration in Central Asia is one of the most under-reported topics and as such, it needs more attention of the international community.
My work with young women and girls in Tajikistan, one of the most under-reported countries in the world, prompted me to do more research and write about the issue in order to draw attention to the problem. This article was an entry to The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition, and it reached semi-final.
Video
Production Support
Miscellaneous