“This is a great opportunity for building synergy by bringing together two programmes with different funders and amplify their learning and networking opportunities,” Dr Tikhala Chibwana, WIN steering committee member for Malawi and project director for Women in News Central-East Africa, running in Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania.  Dr Chibwana is himself a long-term advocate for peer to peer learning, after participating in a business twinning project with colleagues from Zimbabwe under a Sida-partnership.

During the two weeks of intensive management leadership training, held in South Africa and Zimbabwe, sub-Saharan African news media women were able to connect and share insight into their industry, both in terms of business ideas and with peer to peer mentoring on leadership and how to overcome gender bias.

WAN-IFRA has been running the WIN programme through a partnership with the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (SIDA) for more than 6 years. In 2016,  the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also became a partner for WIN Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi. Both programmes will run until 2019, ensuring continued synergies between initiatives.

What WIN participants are saying...

“Since the introductory module, I have become more confident in communicating the needs of the news room and challenging management on what can be done and what cannot be done with limited resources. For four weeks I was acting in my supervisor's role and this helped me to learn management skills.  I now recognise what leadership style I use and how to improve.” Suzgo Khunga, Deputy Bureau Chief – The Nation, Malawi.

“I will forever be indebted to the WIN programme. I have learnt and continue to learn immensely from this group. I have gained amazing contacts and sisters and friends from this network group.” Boitshepo Balozwi, Editor - The Midweek Sun, Botswana. 

"Before attending this programme, I was a news editor. After our first training, I was promoted to editor for content development.  The training has helped me to be a good manager. I've been able to sit at the management table and feel confident when addressing them about our issues, particularly those around gender". Beatrice Bandawe, Editor – Nipashe, Tanzania

"I recently moved to a new job with a development organisation as a senior communications and media officer, dealing with media houses and the training of journalists.  At the same time, I am writing a weekly column by request of my old employer, the People Daily News, who sent me on WIN. They did not want to lose me, and my new employer saw the value of me remaining on the programme". Annie Mbotela, Kenya