Shahira Amin is an independent, award-winning journalist based in Cairo. A former contributor to CNN's Inside Africa, Amin's  coverage has earned her several prestigious international awards including Spain's Julio Anguita Parrado Award for Courageous journalism, the Global Thinkers Forum Excellence Award and the BMW Foundation's Responsible Leaders Award.  Amin is currently a freelance writer for Al Monitor . Her articles have also been published in Index on Censorship  MEE and various other news websites. She has also worked as a consultant with the EU on various development projects and has produced documentaries for UN Women, ILO and UNIDO. Amin has travelled extensively, moderating at the  International Women's Forum, ILO, Geneva and the EU Civil Society Dialogue in Brussels.