The Africa Women Journalism Project (AWJP) founded by former ICFJ Knight Fellow Catherine Gicheru, in collaboration with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), is launching the "Bourse Reportage pour les Journalistes Femmes en Afrique francophone" (Reporting Fellowship for Women Journalists in Francophone Africa). This initiative seeks to address skills gaps among women journalists in francophone Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Togo.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had varying impacts on vulnerable communities, including women and girls, who already face social and economic disparities that are likely to amplify the effects of the crisis on their wellbeing. African women journalists covering the pandemic are crucial in ensuring that news coverage on the outbreak is inclusive of women’s voices and knowledge while shedding light on under-reported issues that are often at the bottom of the news agenda.

Nearly a year and a half into the Covid-19 pandemic, the aftershocks of the pandemic are particularly profound and likely to be ongoing as the content struggles with getting infections under control.

Africa has seen a significant amount of false information around the Covid-19 pandemic and this is leading to a loss of trust in the institutions and authorities tasked with responding to the pandemic.

The Africa Women Journalism Project, an initiative supported by the International Centre for Journalists in partnership with the Ford Foundation West Africa, invites applications from women journalists from Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. The initiative aims to increase the capacity of women journalists in comprehending the complexities of gender-based violence and exploitation and empowering them to cover gender-related issues. The AWJP seeks 60 women journalists interested in investigating and exposing the extent of gender-based violence in the target countries with a focus on under-reported issues.

West Africa has a long history of gender-based violence which has been exacerbated by a culture of impunity and lack of women in positions of influence and authority. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the problem, leading to an increase in occurrences of domestic and sexual violence.Women in the region are currently dealing with "two pandemics" while simultaneously caring for their families.

Africa, and African women in particular, are on the front lines of several compounding crises. The COVID-19 pandemic’s aftershocks disproportionately affect women and girls, exacerbating barriers to participating in the economy and public life. Meanwhile, the world faces a climate crisis and related food insecurity and violence surges.