Marie Claire Has Been Shortlisted For A 2014 Amnesty Media Award

Marie Claire has been included on the shortlist for Amnesty's prestigious media awards.

Marie Claire is delighted to have been shortlisted for an Amnesty Media Award in the photojournalism category for our piece 'Kidnapped and Married in a Day' about forced marriage in Kyrgyzstan. 

The coveted Amnesty Media Awards recognise excellence in human rights reporting and acknowledge journalism's important role in raising awareness and understanding about human rights issues.

Photographer Noriko Hayashi travelled to Kyrgyzstan for Marie Claire to expose the disturbing practice of ala kachuu, which sees 15,000 young women abducted and forced to marry strangers each year. It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of all marriages in the Central Asian country are a result of "bridenapping". Although the practice has been illegal since 1994, the authorities largely turn a blind eye to it. 

The winners of this year’s awards will be announced at a ceremony at the BFI in London on 11 November. Marie Claire previously won the photojournalism award in 2011, for its coverage of rape in the Congo.