NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

In the best of times, female reporters working in the Middle East and Central Asia face some of the biggest challenges in journalism. Significant cultural differences regarding women’s role in society have forced female reporters to regularly endure sexual harassment and threats of violence just for daring to do their job. As we saw earlier this year with CBS correspondent Lara Logan, those threats can and too often do become reality. As enduring wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have now been joined by widespread social unrest across the Arab world, a volatile situation has become more dangerous and chaotic then ever.

On Tuesday, July 26th the Sacramento Press Club very proudly welcomed one of the nation’s most respected journalistic voices, NPR Cairo correspondent Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, shared her experiences reporting from both her current assignment and her three-plus years as the network’s voice in Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to opening the Kabul bureau in 2006, Nelson specialized in covering Iran for three years as Middle East Bureau Chief for Knight Ridder.

Here's a few photos. More to come.