International Womens Media Foundation

Programs: African great lakes reporting initiative - the african great lakes reporting initiative was created in 2014, building on the success of earlier iwmf reporting trips to the western sahara and eastern democratic republic of congo (drc). The iwmf designed this program to support journalists interested in pursuing stories that go beyond the well-established path of political instability, armed conflicts, and humanitarian crises in the region. This initiative includes reporting fellowships for women journalists to the central african republic, the drc, rwanda, south sudan, tanzania, and uganda. While there, the iwmf team also provides security training and support for in-country journalists. Through this initiative, iwmf fellows have covered a wide range of under-reported issues including issues of empowerment, democracy, food security, and conservation efforts. Their work has been produced and published by leading media outlets around the world.

adelante! Latin american reporting initiative - adelante is the iwmf's five-year reporting initiative (2015 to 2020) to reshape traditional media narratives, increase reporting by and about women in latin america, and strengthen latin american female journalists' professional development, impact, and safety. Adelante is made possible by a grant from the howard g. Buffett foundation. The adelante initiative provides unique opportunities, including year-long, in-country fellowships, international reporting trips and hostile environment & first aid training (hefat) in colombia, el salvador, guatemala, honduras, mexico, and the mexico-u. S. Border. Adelante enables unprecedented access to sources and locations in tough reporting environments, where journalists working solo face myriad logistical and security challenges. The fellowship is structured to allow for a mix of group and individual reporting, with an emphasis on peer mentoring.

howard g. Buffett fund for women journalists - the howard g. Buffett fund for women journalists was launched in 2015 with the generous support of the howard g. Buffett foundation to promote the work and advance the contributions of women in the media working around the world. Through this fund, the iwmf has provided critical project funding support in a media landscape that increasingly struggles with changing revenue models, lack of funding for independent reporting, and professional development opportunities. The howard g. Buffett fund for women journalists is the only funding initiative of its kind which helps fill this void due to the flexible nature of its grant making. These grants provide the infrastructure for women journalists to pursue critically important professional development opportunities like security trainings, digital journalism conferences, language classes, and technical skills-building workshops.