Photo: Nick Jaussi – nickjaussi.com
Guide
Resources for Women Journalists – A GIJN Guide
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Women and nonbinary journalists often encounter obstacles, whether they’re out reporting or when they’re back in their newsrooms. GIJN has gathered resources for those who want to connect, handle harassment, and address discrimination issues. We also provide advice and tips from great women investigative journalists that may serve as inspiration.
This guide was originally published in 2019. It was written by Kira Zalan, with later additions by GIJN’s Gabriela Manuli, Nikolia Apostolou, Amel Ghani, and Laura Dixon. Editing by Reed Richardson. Lead chapter images are by Nick Jaussi and Raphael Hünerfauth for GIJN.
Editor’s Note: This guide is designed as a resource for all women, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming journalists.
Chapters
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 1: Women in Leadership
Journalism as an industry has been a lonely place for women, and investigative journalism even more so. This has been the consensus at the session titled “Women and Investigative Journalism: Tips on Leadership” at the 12th Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC21). The panel was made up of editors at the helm of leading investigative journalism […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 2: Networks For Women Journalists
International Networks Professional networks can be great resources for peer support, mentorship, collaboration, and contacts. In the male-dominated industry of investigative journalism, it can be helpful to reach out to other women for understanding and support. That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of regional and global networks specifically for women journalists around the world. […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 3: Safety, Discrimination & Harassment
Safety Resources Safety is something all journalists worry about, but women face additional threats with gender-based violence, harassment, discrimination in the newsroom and in the field, and disproportionate online attacks. Below are some resources to improve security for women in the industry. Read the resources on the safety of women journalists by UNESCO, or the organization’s 2022 report The […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 4: Grants, Fellowships, and Awards for Female Journalists
Grants and Fellowships Below is a list of grants and scholarships designed specifically for women and nonbinary reporters, and/or for stories about women. For a general list of grants and fellowships available to all, visit the GIJN resource page. The International Women’s Media Foundation has a number of grants for women and nonbinary journalists around the […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 5: Finding Mentors
Mentors come with experience and knowledge that can help you with a wide range of issues, including moving forward with your project, negotiating a fair salary, or navigating an unhealthy work environment or a difficult relationship with a colleague. It can take time to find the right match, but a number of resources are available specifically for women journalists. […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 6: Female Experts
Women experts are severely underrepresented in media output around the world, many studies show. Working to include a balance of male and female experts could help shift the current paradigm. The BBC 50:50 Project begun in 2018 involves record-keeping to show the proportion of women appearing in BBC radio, TV, and online content. GIJN has compiled […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 7: Spotlight on Women in Investigative Journalism
The stories below were mostly published in 2023 and 202, and written by women journalists, or reporters who cover women’s issues. Websites Selling Abortion Pills Are Sharing Sensitive Data With Google (ProPublica) Sexual violence: in nursing homes (Investigate Europe, Youpress and Mediapart, in French). The Baby Broker Project: Inside the world’s leading low-cost surrogacy agency […]
Chapter Guide Resource
Chapter 8: Reports on Women’s Issues
GIJN has put together a collection of recent reports on women’s issues. Nine Lessons for Rethinking How You Report on Domestic Violence (Center for Health Journalism) Revenge of the Patriarchs. Why Autocrats Fear Women (Foreign Affairs) The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) provides an overview of violence against women journalists and gender-based attacks on communicators […]