The EqualVoice initiative, launched by the Swiss media group Ringier, has announced the appointment of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman to its International Advisory Board, in a move that underscores the initiative’s growing international reach and its commitment to strengthening women’s visibility in media.
In a statement, EqualVoice confirmed that Karman—who became the first Arab woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her nonviolent struggle for women’s safety and full participation in peacebuilding—will join its International Advisory Board starting in summer 2026.
The statement notes that Karman rose to international prominence as a leading figure of the Arab Spring and and as the founder of Women Journalists Without Chains. It adds that she led protests against authoritarian rule in Yemen and faced arrest and persecution due to her human rights activism.
The statement emphasizes that she continues to advocate for democracy, freedom of expression, and women’s equal participation in public life as universal principles.
Dr. Annabella Bassler, Group Chief Financial Officer of Ringier and founder of the EqualVoice initiative, stated that Karman’s appointment embodies the core values of EqualVoice—particularly courage and the conviction that fair visibility in the public sphere is a fundamental democratic issue.
The announcement comes as EqualVoice continues to expand its data-driven tool, the “EqualVoice-Factor,” a metric designed to measure the presence and representation of women in editorial coverage.
The initiative maintains that media visibility is not merely a matter of format, but a strategic editorial choice that reflects institutional priorities—an approach that closely aligns with Karman’s longstanding advocacy for women’s leadership and participation in decision-making.
