Equality Fund Global Journalism Fellowship 2026–2027

• Eligibility: five journalists located in ODA-recipient countries
• Target Region: ODA-eligible countries
• Application Language: English

The Equality Fund has launched its inaugural Global Journalism Fellowship, developed in partnership with Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and African Women in Media (AWiM). The fellowship seeks to surface stories of local solutions to global crises, with a particular focus on gender, by selecting up to five journalists located in ODA-recipient countries. Fellows will spend six months in structured programming followed by three additional months to finalise publication (January–September 2027), receiving a CAD 4,000 stipend, up to CAD 500 in reporting expenses, monthly expert-led online sessions, safety training from the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, and an in-person convening with travel costs covered. The programme is particularly interested in stories that move beyond documenting problems and explore locally driven responses to challenges such as climate change, gender-based violence, economic injustice, conflict, or threats to democracy and human rights.

Eligibility

• Open to full-time or independent freelance journalists working on any journalism platform, including text, digital, video, and audio
• Minimum of three years of journalism experience
• Journalists must be located in, and be reporting on, communities in ODA-recipient countries (full country list at oecd.org)
• Must have three strong journalism samples that showcase a range of relevant work
• Ability to accommodate meetings within daytime hours in Eastern Standard Time
• Must be fluent in English, Equality Fund’s working language
• Must have a strong affinity for the Equality Fund’s mission and values, including equality and diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and disability
• Women, non-binary, and trans people are encouraged to apply
• Must have a bank account able to accept international Electronic Wire Transfers
• Applications from women, men, and LGBTQI+ people are welcomed
• Use of AI in the proposal and application is not permitted; use of AI during the journalistic process must be disclosed to the programme and approved in advance

Requirements

• Completed online application form submitted before the closing date
• Three published journalism samples showcasing a range of relevant work
  In a phased process, shortlisted applicants will be asked to submit a letter of editorial commitment from a news outlet (in some cases of self-publishing, this may be substituted with a fact-checking plan)
• Fellows must be willing to follow trauma-informed reporting best practices and conduct community roundtables where possible
• Fellows who are full-time staff journalists will be required to notify their newsroom of the fellowship stipend

How to Apply

Complete the online application form before 08/11/2026 at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Full application guidelines, including eligibility criteria and programme expectations, are available on the funder’s application page before starting. Apply here.

For more information, please visit this page.