Call for Application: APWLD Media Fellowship

The deadline for this call has been closed.

Concept Note for Applicants

APWLD is inviting five women media professionals across Asia-Pacific region to participate in our inaugural media fellowship programme that aims to strengthen media advocacy on grassroots issues through a feminist lens. Selected journalists will be given a stipend of USD 1,000 to cover expenses for research and travel according to workplans co-developed with APWLD. Our fellowship theme this year is on climate change as we wish to strengthen a feminist analysis on this topic and climate justice, especially in mainstream and alternative media spaces.

The duration of the fellowship will be from August 2018 – January 2019. During this time period women journalists will have an option to produce news articles, features, audio-video content/documentary or digital stories with a feminist lens that highlight the linkages between gender, ecological conflicts and climate change.

APWLD is a regional feminist network of women’s organisations and activists in Asia-Pacific, committed to women’s human rights and feminist movements. APWLD’s members are drawn from 27 countries and the Secretariat is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. If you are deeply committed to covering feminist, progressive movements and challenging structural globalised inequalities, please consider applying for this opportunity.

Why Climate Justice?

Impacts of climate change affect the poorest countries the most, given their lack of capacity to prepare for and cope with the impacts of climate change. Among developing countries, men and women don’t experience in the same way impacts of climate change. First because women constitute the majority of the world’s poor, and also because of the fact that the climate change itself is a result of deliberate political and economic policies that are deeply patriarchal.  

Climate change and unsustainable living exacerbates and re-produces existing gender inequalities with dire results for women. Research shows that women are the worst impacted by climate change. For instance, they are exposed to increased risks because of their primary role in care work and agricultural production and because climate change is increasing the burden of water and food collection, which usually falls on women.

With this fellowship, we see a severe need to strengthen the gender analysis, and aim to start a conversation in mainstream and alternative media, setting a context for feminist, fossil fuel free futures as a driver for just and equitable transitions for climate justice. There is an urgency in communicating the possibility of having climate just future in the deadlock of negotiations where countries and private sector still work on the lines of ‘development’ agenda in the linear economic models. With evidences surmounting that this does not keep the world within the 1.5 degree target of Paris agenda, nor does it resolve the global inequalities, an alternative narrative has become a need to challenge the existing biased media discourses, often aided by corporations.

How Will The Fellowship Work?

APWLD will invite five selected women journalists to Thailand for a two-day capacity building workshop on women’s human rights and climate justice. At the workshop, the media fellows will have an opportunity to meet women environmental rights defenders and climate justice advocates from Asia-Pacific. Based on interactions with grassroots activists and experts, the fellows, in consultation with APWLD, will develop a plan on how to produce critical analysis on women, climate change and climate justice.

Fellowship Conditions

  • During the fellowship period, the journalists will be given a stipend of 1,000 USD for to cover expenses for research and travel according to workplans co-developed with APWLD.
  • Fellow journalists will be expected to produce three written pieces of 1,000-1,200 words each. Out of the three pieces, at least two should focus specifically on APWLD members or partners and cover one of the campaign/advocacy priorities of APWLD, e.g. Feminist, fossil fuel free future, Ecological/Environmental Justice or Just and Equitable Transitions.
  • If fellow journalists alternatively choose an audio-visual medium, they will produce two pieces of at least five minutes each. Out of the two pieces, at least one should focus specifically on APWLD members or partners and cover one of the campaign/advocacy priorities of APWLD, e.g. Feminist, fossil fuel free future, Ecological/Environmental Justice or Just and Equitable Transitions.
  • Fellow journalists can also choose to work across audio-visual media and text mediums. They will produce two pieces out of which, at least one should focus specifically on APWLD members or partners and cover one of the campaign/advocacy priorities of APWLD, e.g. Feminist, fossil fuel free future, Ecological/Environmental Justice or Just and Equitable Transitions.
  • There will be some flexibility in length of written text and audio-visuals on a case-by-case basis.
  • Ideally, fellow journalists should submit letters from editors assuring their work will be published.
  • The pieces can be long features, advocacy-focused, data driven, or documentary style.
  • The fellowship partners will receive continuous support from APWLD Secretariat for shaping the articles and analysis.
  • The fellowship partners commit to be in a close, regular communications with APWLD Secretariat.

Selection Criteria

  • The fellowship is open to women media professionals from Asia-Pacific with at least four (4) years of experience.
  • Experience in covering women’s human rights, grassroots movements, environmental issues or climate change will be an added advantage.
  • Demonstrated commitment to the promotion of women’s human rights in your respective countries and /or Asia-Pacific.
  • Commitment to  feminist movement building.
  • Must be able to travel overseas as required.
  • Proficient in English and a language from Asia-Pacific region.

Timeline

June – Call for applications

July – Finalise applicants

August – Workshop and co-development of workplans

Until December – News story production and publication

January – Evaluation

Application

The applicant should submit an expression of interest with the following documents:

  1. A completed application form
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Two work samples of any medium
  4. A letter of endorsement from media organisation if full-time employee, or a letter of endorsement from an editor if a freelance journalist
  5. Letter from editor assuring news stories will be published; Optional for freelance journalists

Please send completed forms via email with the subject line “Application for Media Fellowship 2018” to Neha Gupta at neha@apwld.org, by no later than 30 June 2018, midnight Bangkok time. Please note that incomplete applications will not be entertained.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Click here to download the concept note.