The Equality Fund runs this inaugural fellowship with Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and African Women in Media.
Up to five journalists living in ODA-recipient countries each report and publish at least one story on local solutions to global crises, with a focus on gender, supported by monthly online mentoring.
Benefits & funding
- CAD 4,000 stipend; fellows may keep their salary or freelance fee.
- Up to CAD 500 for reporting expenses (translation or fact-checking included).
- 1–2 hours a month of online mentoring and workshops, including safety training.
- One optional in-person convening (up to 7 days, April 2027) with flights and accommodation covered.
- Full editorial independence; the Equality Fund may republish the work to promote the fellowship.
Eligibility
- Living and working in a country on the OECD DAC List of ODA Recipients and reporting on your own community; journalists in exile from such a country may apply if they can still report on that community (explain how in the proposal).
- At least three years of journalism experience; staff or freelance, any platform.
- Fluent in written and spoken English; available for daytime meetings in Eastern Time.
- A bank account that accepts international wire transfers.
- All genders; women, non-binary and trans people are encouraged to apply. No age limit.
- Eligible countries (OECD list for 2025 flows; Nauru stays on the list until 1 January 2027 — check the live list): Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, North Korea, Syria, Algeria, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Eswatini, Ghana, Honduras, India, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tokelau, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, Niue, North Macedonia, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Wallis and Futuna, West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan · Angola · Bangladesh · Benin · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · DR Congo · Djibouti
Residents of Afghanistan · Angola · Bangladesh · Benin · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cambodia · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · DR Congo · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Kiribati · Laos · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mozambique · Myanmar · Nepal · Niger · Rwanda · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tuvalu · Uganda · Yemen · Zambia · North Korea · Syria · Algeria · Bhutan · Bolivia · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Egypt · Eswatini · Ghana · Honduras · India · Iran · Jordan · Kenya · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Micronesia · Mongolia · Morocco · Nicaragua · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · São Tomé and Príncipe · Sri Lanka · Tajikistan · Tokelau · Tunisia · Ukraine · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Vietnam · Zimbabwe · Albania · Argentina · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belize · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · China · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Fiji · Gabon · Georgia · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Indonesia · Iraq · Jamaica · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Libya · Malaysia · Maldives · Marshall Islands · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Montenegro · Montserrat · Namibia · Nauru · Niue · North Macedonia · Palau · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Saint Helena · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Serbia · South Africa · Suriname · Thailand · Tonga · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Venezuela · Wallis and Futuna · Palestine can also apply.
+ 129 more
Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Haiti · Kiribati · Laos · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mozambique · Myanmar · Nepal · Niger · Rwanda · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tuvalu · Uganda · Yemen · Zambia · North Korea · Syria · Algeria · Bhutan · Bolivia · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Egypt · Eswatini · Ghana · Honduras · India · Iran · Jordan · Kenya · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Micronesia · Mongolia · Morocco · Nicaragua · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · São Tomé and Príncipe · Sri Lanka · Tajikistan · Tokelau · Tunisia · Ukraine · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Vietnam · Zimbabwe · Albania · Argentina · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belize · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · China · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Fiji · Gabon · Georgia · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Indonesia · Iraq · Jamaica · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Libya · Malaysia · Maldives · Marshall Islands · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Montenegro · Montserrat · Namibia · Nauru · Niue · North Macedonia · Palau · Panama · Paraguay · Peru · Saint Helena · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Serbia · South Africa · Suriname · Thailand · Tonga · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · Venezuela · Wallis and Futuna · Palestine
Experience required
≥ 3 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Submit the online form by 8 November 2026 with one unproduced story proposal and three journalism samples; one proposal per person.
- 2No AI may be used in the proposal or application.
- 3Shortlisted applicants have a virtual interview and send a letter from a news outlet interested in publishing (self-publishers may offer a fact-checking plan instead).
- 4A jury of Equality Fund staff and journalists chooses the fellows; there is no feedback for others.
Program timeline
Application deadline (the guidelines page says 11pm EST at the top, midnight EST at the end)
8 Nov 2026
Successful applicants notified
By Jan 2027
Programming
Jan–Jun 2027
In-person convening
Apr 2027
All work finished
Sep 2027