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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - With a focus on digitalization and feminist digital rights and justice for women journalists, the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law, and Development (APWLD), the leading network of more than 313 feminist organizations and individual activists from 31 countries and territories in Asia and Pacific, begins a new cycle of media fellowships, according to a press release received by Tempo on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
The APWLD Media Fellowship was established in 2018 with the goal of highlighting the perspectives and concerns of grassroots women. This has led to stories that analyze structural injustices and encourage feminist collective action. With more than 74 multimedia stories created by 30 fellows, this program keeps enabling journalists to take the lead in discussions on development justice and women's human rights.
“Feminist storytelling shapes and shifts narratives, challenges power structures and spur collective action,” APWLD regional coordinator Misun Woo explains. “Through this fellowship, we aim to equip women journalists with the tools to tell critical but empowering stories that expose the structural barriers women face in the digital age.”
Now in its sixth year, the 2025 fellowship addresses themes such as digital rights and justice, surveillance, platform economies, and online gender-based violence, with an emphasis on the significant yet unequal effects of digitalization on women and their communities. It seeks to develop feminist narratives that confront the systemic inequalities made worse by digitalization, including its negative effects on the environment, the economy, and society.
“As digital technologies expand, so do inequalities and systemic injustices. In this way, journalists have a unique role in ensuring that women’s voices are central in public discourses on digitalisation,” Misun adds.
There are several benefits that the Fellowship offers: the first, Story Development. This benefit allows the Fellows to produce investigative and in-depth stories in diverse formats such as written pieces, video documentaries, photo essays, or audio content with the guidance of APWLD.
Second, Capacity Building. This benefit allows the Fellows to attend an in-person Media Fellowship Training in May 2025 to learn about feminist analysis and strengthen reporting skills.
Third, Advocacy Opportunities. This one allows the Fellows may engage in online or in-person civil society and UN advocacy events during the fellowship period.
Fellows will also explore a wide range of feminist digital rights and justice issues, including but not limited to:
- Digitalisation and its impact on women’s work and livelihoods
- Data privacy, digital surveillance and militarism/wars
- Misinformation and disinformation
- Rise of digital authoritarianism
- Autonomy and bodily integrity
- Environment, Agriculture and Economy
Eligibility and Application Details
This fellowship is open to women media professionals from Asia and the Pacific with at least three years of experience. Applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to feminist movement-building and have experience covering women’s human rights and development issues.
Application Deadline: 15 January 2025, 11:59 pm Bangkok time.
To apply, candidates must submit a completed application form, CV, two work samples, a proposed work plan and budget (using APWLD template), and a letter of endorsement. Additional details, including templates and submission guidelines, are available on the APWLD Media Fellowship website.
Timeline
Application Period : 30 November 2024 – 31 January 2025
Selection Process : February 2025
Fellowship Announcement : March 2025
Training : May 2025
Reflection Meeting : May 2026
For more information or to submit any application, you can email Edz dela Cruz ([email protected]), with CC to Liani MK ([email protected]) and Gerimara Manuel ([email protected]) with the email subject: "Application: APWLD Media Fellowship".
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