El Correo, Canal Sur and COPE win the 10th Journalism Awards against Gender Violence Aliados Foundation
Journalists Yolanda Veiga, from El Correo, Yolanda Guirado, from COPE Andalucía, and Emilio Maíllo, from the programme “Solidarios” on Canal Sur Televisión, are the winners of the 10th “Fundación Aliados” Journalism Awards against Gender Violence. In addition, the jury has decided to award a Special Mention in the television category to journalist Vicente Ibáñez from Antena 3.
A total of 112 works published in the Spanish media participated in this new edition of the competition. With this tenth edition, the awards have reached a significant milestone, exceeding 1,300 entries submitted throughout their history, consolidating themselves as a benchmark in the recognition of good professional practices that contribute to the defence and dissemination of values against this social scourge.
In the Print Media category, the jury awarded the prize to journalist Yolanda Veiga for her work “Sexual abuse of minors in care: how the system that should have protected them failed”, published in the daily newspaper El Correo. The report stands out for its courageous investigation into the cracks in the protection system, focusing on the vulnerability of minors who, already damaged by their families of origin, end up being victims of exploitation networks. Veiga starkly conveys how the lack of resources and emotional deprivation in overcrowded centres push these young people towards so-called “lover boys” or sexual predators. The jury values how the text not only denounces the failures of the system, but also proposes urgent solutions, underlining the need to promote professionalised foster care over the residential model.
In the Radio/Podcast category, the award went to Yolanda Guirado, from COPE Andalucía, for her report “Un primer techo para mujeres valientes” (A first roof for brave women). The radio programme explores the vital importance of shelter resources as a first step towards freedom and safety. The jury recognised that Guirado had managed to capture the essence of these spaces, which not only offer refuge, but also a starting point for the comprehensive recovery of women who manage to break the cycle of violence.
In the Television category, the award went to Emilio Maíllo for “Esclavas del siglo XXI” (Slaves of the 21st Century), a report broadcast on Canal Sur Televisión's “Solidarios” programme. The work forcefully addresses the reality of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The jury highlights the report's ability to raise awareness of these women who live in conditions of slavery and to expose the dynamics of coercion they suffer, reminding us of our social responsibility in the face of this violation of human rights.
Finally, the jury decided to award a Special Mention in the television category to journalist Vicente Ibáñez, from Antena 3, for “A Day in the Gender Violence Courts”. In just two minutes, the report summarises a necessary and educational perspective on the functioning of the justice system, showing the journey that victims take from the moment they file a complaint and highlighting the work of professionals working on the front line of the justice system.
Awards ceremony and jury members
The three main categories come with a cash prize of €3,000 and a trophy. The awards ceremony will take place on 24 November at 12 noon at the headquarters of the Madrid Press Association.
The jury for the 10th Journalism Against Gender Violence Awards is made up of Almudena Fontecha, president of the Executive Committee of Aliados por la Integración; Miguel Ángel Noceda, president of the Federation of Press Associations of Spain (FAPE); Alfonso Nasarre, director of Onda Madrid; Pilar Álvarez, head of Última Hora at El País; Óscar Vázquez, deputy director of Antena 3 Noticias; Raquel Benito, editor-in-chief of El Confidencial; Alfonso Rodríguez, deputy director of ABC; Myriam Noblejas, journalist specialising in gender violence and assistant to the Director General of Communication at Madrid City Council; and Javier Fernández Arribas, director of Atalayar and contributor to various media outlets.