Pulitzer Center Update January 10, 2020
Ana P. Santos Honored For Reporting On Filipino Migration
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Project
A Woman's Crime and Punishment
When unmarried sex is outlawed, pregnancy out of wedlock is proof of a crime. Women are jailed—along...
In December 2019, Pulitzer Center grantee Ana P. Santos was recognized for her work by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs, also receiving an award from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).
On December 16, Santos was chosen as one of IOM's 2019 Champions of Migration for her contributions "in promoting safe, orderly, and humane migration for the benefit of all." She was honored along with Sister Rosa Angelica Libron, Dr. Edna Estifania Co, and WarPeace Arnold.
In early December, CFO chose Santos' Rappler-produced animated film, "Imprisoned: Raising my baby behind bars," as the winner for the Best Documentary on Migration in the 2019 Migration Advocacy and Media (MAM) Awards.
Imprisoned: Raising my baby behind bars follows the story of a young Filipina who became pregnant outside of wedlock. She was turned over to the police soon after giving birth and was imprisoned for having unmarried sex which is considered a crime in Qatar. She spent three years in jail along with her baby. The film exposes the cruelty the young woman faced within Qatar's legal system while showcasing the sisterhood she found among other mothers who were in prison alongside her. The film is a part of a Pulitzer Center-supported report, "A Woman's Crime and Punishment," that observes how zina laws that criminalize unmarried sex disproportionately impact low-skilled migrant women, leaving them and their infant children in desperate situations.
2019 MAM awardees were chosen for having raised public awareness on issues related to Filipino migration, advocated the cause of Filipinos overseas, promoted a positive image of Filipinos overseas, and espoused the concepts of migration and development. Awarding ceremonies took place on December 17, 2019.
A Pulitzer Center grantee since 2014, Santos has reported on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health rights, gender issues, and inequality within the Philippines while also writing about the Filipino diaspora in Europe and the Middle East.
