Gwen Lister facts for kids

Gwen Lister was born on December 5, 1953, in East London, South Africa. She is a well-known Namibian journalist and publisher. She is also famous for fighting against apartheid and for press freedom.

Early Life and First Steps

Gwen grew up during a time called apartheid. This was a system in South Africa and Namibia that separated people based on their race. It treated non-white people unfairly. Gwen decided she wanted to fight against this system. She felt that working in Namibia (then called South West Africa) would be the best way to do this.

In 1975, she earned a degree from the University of Cape Town. After finishing her studies, she started working as a journalist. She became a political reporter for the Windhoek Advertiser newspaper in Namibia. However, she left the paper because her editors tried to change her reports.

Starting Independent Newspapers

The Windhoek Observer

In 1978, Gwen and another journalist, Hannes Smith, started their own newspaper. It was an independent weekly paper called the Windhoek Observer. As the political editor, Gwen wanted to show the human side of SWAPO. This was Namibia's liberation movement. She wanted people to see they were not "terrorists" or "communists." She also spoke out against South Africa's apartheid rules in Namibia. This made the government very angry.

In May 1984, the Observer was officially banned. This happened after Gwen traveled to Zambia to report on talks about Namibia's independence. The ban was later lifted. But the newspaper's management demoted her. They said she caused the ban. Because of this, Gwen resigned, and many staff members left with her.

Facing Challenges for Truth

After leaving the Observer, Gwen worked as a freelance journalist. She wrote for BBC News and South Africa's Capital Radio 604. In December 1984, Gwen found a document. It showed that South African authorities were reading her mail. She was arrested and held for a week because of this. An international group, the International Press Institute, said this arrest was an attempt to stop her. They believed the government wanted to prevent her from starting a new newspaper. The police took her passport. She also had to report to the police three times a week.

Founding The Namibian

In August 1985, Gwen started a new independent newspaper. She called it The Namibian. Her reports often talked about human rights abuses. These were wrongs done by South African forces. This made the government even angrier. White businesses also stopped advertising in her paper. In 1987, South African authorities tried to stop her. They banned the paper from printing a photo of a dead rebel. Gwen fought this ban in court.

Gwen and her newspaper faced many dangers. Her office was shot at and attacked with tear gas. In October 1988, an extremist group even firebombed the office. In the same year, she was held for several days without charge. This happened after she published a government document. It suggested new police powers in Namibia. She was pregnant at the time.

Promoting Media Freedom

In 1991, a person who had been arrested for a murder said he was sent to Namibia to harm Gwen. This shows the serious risks she took.

Gwen also helped lead a big conference in 1991. It was the UNESCO conference on Free, Independent and Pluralistic African Media. This meeting led to the important Windhoek Declaration. She also helped start the International Consortium of International Journalists (ICIJ). Today, she leads the Namibia Media Trust (NMT). This trust owns The Namibian newspaper. It works to promote media freedom and train journalists. Gwen also helped create the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). She even served as its chairwoman.

In March 2011, Gwen Lister stepped down as editor of The Namibian. She had led the newspaper for 26 years. Tangeni Amupadhi took over her role.

Awards and Recognition

Gwen Lister has received many international awards for her brave work.

• In 1992, she won an International Press Freedom Award. This award is for journalists who bravely report news in tough situations.
• Harvard University gave her a Nieman Fellowship in 1996. This is a special program for experienced journalists.
• In 1997, she received the MISA Press Freedom Award. The Media Institute of Southern Africa praised her. They said she "almost single-handedly kept up the mantle of press freedom in Namibia."
• In 2000, the IPI named her one of 50 World Press Freedom Heroes. These are people who have greatly helped press freedom over 50 years.
• In 2004, she received the Courage in Journalism Award. This award is from the International Women's Media Foundation.

Personal Life

Gwen Lister published her life story in 2021. The book is called Comrade Editor: On life, journalism and the birth of Namibia. She enjoys the sport of squash and is a patron of the Namibian Squash Association.