Ladan Anoushfar - Senior Video Producer, CNN As Equals
Ladan Anoushfar
Senior Video Producer, CNN As Equals
Ladan Anoushfar is an award-winning Senior Video Producer and Commissioning Editor for CNN’s As Equals, a dedicated team committed to reporting on gender inequality around the world. She is based at the network’s London bureau.
Latest
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She ‘wants to die there.’ The women forced to scam and the families left behindNov 25, 2025Women trafficked to work in Asia’s notorious scam industry describe horrifying conditions inside heavily-guarded compounds, while their families fight for their release. -
• Video 9:15Video She was promised work as a customer service agent. Instead she was trafficked to run online scams 9:15Nov 24, 2025Women describe horrifying conditions inside heavily-guarded centers where they were forced to con victims in romance scams and more. Hanako Montgomery travels to a scam compound that held over 5,000 trafficked workers. This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
The truth behind your clothing’s ‘made in Guatemala’ labelOct 21, 2025Guatemalan textile workers describe brutal conditions inside the factories making clothes for some of the biggest brands in the US. -
Taxis for women only: The female cabbies rebelling against brutal violenceSep 23, 2025Amid brutal attacks on female cabbies, a mother-daughter team have forged a women-only taxi service to rival traditional rideshare apps like Uber. -
• Video 4:58Video Video: Mexico City female cabbies rebel against brutal violence 4:58Sep 23, 2025As Mexico faces brutal attacks on female cabbies, a women-only taxi cooperative is hoping to rival traditional rideshare apps. This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 7:05Video Why reproductive health rights workers target basketball courts in the Philippines 7:05Sep 1, 2025In deeply Catholic Philippines, a spike in early adolescent pregnancies raises uncomfortable questions around sex education. Hanako Montgomery meets some of the young women affected. This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
Mothers at 14. The fierce debate over sex education in a deeply Catholic nationSep 1, 2025Amid a spike in 10 to 14-year-old girls giving birth, debate rages between lawmakers, health experts and church groups over the future of sex education. -
• Video 4:23Video Why these women were ashamed of surviving the Nagasaki atomic bomb 4:23Aug 9, 2025Women who survived the Nagasaki bomb tell CNN about its impact. Eighty years after the US bombings of Nagasaki, aging survivors reveal the shame and stigma they endured as young women. -
Viral video of her torture shocked Colombia. The killings didn’t stop thereAug 6, 2025“Social control” campaigns aimed at minority groups have a long history in Colombia, with local vigilantes dealing death and displacement in the name of law and order. -
• Video 9:09Video To be queer in parts of Colombia is ‘to sign your own death sentence’ 9:09Aug 6, 2025Colombia’s gang members tell CNN of a killing campaign aimed at LGBTQ people. Trans women, like Sara Millerey and Nawar Jimenez, are paying the price.
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• Video 3:56Video Hear these women speak about an invisible job taking most of their time 3:56Mar 13, 2025For International Women’s Day, CNN As Equals interviewed women from Tokyo to London to hear about their challenges as unpaid care givers in order to highlight the invisible burden of care. -
• Video 4:28Video ‘I fear for my life’: the devastating effect of Ghana’s gold rush 4:28Nov 28, 2024Larry Madowo travels to Ghana to speak with locals who fear their rivers are polluted by Galamsey, illegal gold mining, and believe it is affecting women’s health. -
• Video 4:24Video ‘We are suffocating’: CNN speaks to migrant workers abandoned in Lebanon 4:24Oct 11, 2024Migrant workers in Lebanon, of which the vast majority are women, have been made destitute by Israel’s bombardment. CNN speaks to women who are unable to turn to employers, the state or their own embassies for help and rely on the kindness of strangers. This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 5:12Video CNN speaks to Rohingya hijras facing transphobic abuse and sexual violence 5:12Jul 29, 2024CNN uncovers the sexual violence and transphobic abuse faced by Rohingya hijras in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. -
• Video 2:59Video ‘It is my dream’: woman says she risked it all for gender affirming surgery in Thailand 2:59Jul 26, 2024See what the journey to Thailand looks like for Filipina Bianca Balala, who travelled to Bangkok for gender affirming surgery. Note: Not all people who identify as trans or non-binary feel they need surgery. This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 2:53Video Men are taking this class to become better husbands, brothers and sons 2:53Mar 26, 2024CNN visits a school in Bogota where adult men and teenagers learn how to care for newborns, make ponytails and better engage with their emotions. Stefano Pozzebon examines how this class aims to rebalance household responsibilities. Editor’s Note: This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 4:16Video How some African women are bringing back tattoo traditions erased by colonization 4:16Feb 26, 2024This video explores African women’s connection to tattooing and scarification, looking at how that connection was lost as a result of colonization. We follow Jessica Horn and Laurence Sessou on their mission to reverse centuries of colonialism, the erasure of traditional tattoo practices and the impact this has had on women’s relationship with their bodies. This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 3:32Video Four reasons why women are more impacted by climate change 3:32Dec 11, 2023Gender plays a huge role in determining how someone is affected by climate change. This video explainer looks at how women and girls are impacted more through four different areas such as gender-based violence, land rights, time poverty and maternal health. This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 3:21Video Mercury found in some beauty products can enter the bloodstream, the brain and breastmilk 3:21Sep 27, 2023CNN explains how high levels of mercury found in some skin whitening creams can affect the body of people using them and put entire households at risk by contaminating their homes. Editor’s note: This story is part of ‘White lies’, a series by CNN’s As Equals investigating skin whitening practices worldwide to expose the underlying drivers of colorism, the industry that profits from it and the cost to individuals and communities. For information about how CNN As Equals is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 6:20Video Losing my wife and son: Husband shares the tragic reality of postpartum depression 6:20Sep 27, 2023Pranaiya Oulapathorn was a happy new mother until she began struggling with postpartum depression. Her husband Hamish Magoffin recounts his wife’s struggle that led to her tragic death. To get support or learn more about postpartum depression, visit Postpartum Support International. Editor’s Note: This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 4:37Video She started fishing for a better life. Climate change is putting it all at risk 4:37Sep 27, 2023Brandina Mundimba joined the first all-women fishing cooperative on the Zambezi River and thought her life was set on a more prosperous path. But extreme weather, warming climates and overfishing in Zimbabwe are threatening to put an end to their dreams. Editor’s Note: This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 5:08Video A decision of ‘love’: Meet the women providing abortion access in the Netherlands 5:08Sep 27, 2023The Netherlands is one of just a few countries in Europe where access to abortion is possible past 12 weeks of pregnancy. CNN goes inside the Bloemenhove Clinic in Haarlem to hear from doctors and activists how European abortion travel works. Editor’s Note: This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 5:54Video ‘Press nine to speak to a counselor’: The hotline that helped hundreds of women 5:54Sep 27, 2023A phone counseling service was set up to address maternal mental health issues in the rural region of Samastipur in Bihar, India in 2018 which has low literacy rates and little knowledge around conditions like depression. While funding stopped in 2019, demand is still high, forcing local counselors to continue voluntarily to help the many women who are still in need of their help. Editor’s Note: This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 4:36Video ‘I would like to meet my dad’: Fathered by a UN peacekeeper and left behind 4:36Sep 15, 2023Pauline and Roselaine are struggling to raise children in dire conditions after they were impregnated and left behind by United Nations peacekeepers in Haiti. Today they demand justice and a better future for their children. CNN agreed not to use Roselaine’s surname, as she fears stigma within her community. Editor’s Note: This story is part of As Equals, CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality. For information about how the series is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 7:31Video How common is sexual harassment in the metaverse? CNN explores the dark side of virtual worlds 7:31Jul 27, 2023Hate and harassment can be traumatizing for many victims online, but what happens when sexual harassment follows you into the metaverse – a space where the lines between the virtual and offline world are blurred? CNN reveals how common harassment already is and explores what needs to change to create a truly safe experience – particularly for women and girls. Editor’s note: This story is part of ‘Systems Error’, a series by CNN As Equals, investigating how your gender shapes your life online. For information about how CNN As Equals is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 10:11Video Powerful men regularly incite hatred against her, so she mobilized volunteers to fight back with kindness 10:11Jul 19, 2023Activist Nika Kovac and her team are on a mission to address the rise of online hate speech towards women in Slovenia fueled by powerful men. As well as pushing for legal reform, they are touring the country to hear people’s experiences and recruiting an army of volunteers to counter the hate with kindness and love.Editor’s note: This story is part of ‘Systems Error’, a series by CNN As Equals, investigating how your gender shapes your life online. For information about how CNN As Equals is funded and more, check out our FAQs. -
• Video 7:38Video Women across the globe are falling victim to doxxing. Here’s what to know 7:38Mar 2, 2023With personal data flooding the internet, doxxing — the release of personal information without a person’s consent – has become more common. CNN explains what it is, how it happens and hears directly from women who were targeted. Editor’s note: This story is part of ‘Systems Error’, a series by CNN As Equals, investigating how your gender shapes your life online. For information about how CNN As Equals is funded and more, check out our FAQs.
About
Ladan Anoushfar is an award-winning Senior Video Producer and Commissioning Editor for CNN’s As Equals, a dedicated team committed to reporting on gender inequality around the world. She is based at the network’s London bureau.
In this role, Anoushfar oversees the team and shapes the initiative’s editorial direction. She also supervises As Equals’ vast network of filmmakers around the globe to produce high quality video reports and creative explainers.
In 2023, she led a multiplatform project examining the impact of climate change on women worldwide, in conjunction with the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai. In addition to a number of TV and digital reports, this resulted in a physical photography exhibition at COP itself.
Her reporting with As Equals has won her numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award and two Gracie Awards.
Prior to joining CNN, she has produced, directed, and edited films for BBC World, The Guardian, Al Jazeera English, as well as feature length documentaries for theatrical release.
In 2018, she co-founded Black Leaf Films, an independent production company. Her film ‘The Sanctions Hotel’ looking at the resilience of Iranians in the face of sanctions was a runner up for a Foreign Press Association award as well as the winner of a silver medal at the New York Festivals Best Film and TV Awards.
In 2019, she worked on a one-hour documentary titled ‘Stealing From the Sick’ for BBC Africa Eye, which was the winner of the AIB’s award for Best Investigative Documentary.
Anoushfar studied at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in London, and subsequently trained with cinema legend Abbas Kiarostami and double Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi in Iran.
