NCHR and MMfD launch Fellowship to Empower Journalists on Digital Rights & Gender Inclusion

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 4 May 2025 | JP Staff Report

The National Commission for Human Rights and Media Matters for Democracy announced a fellowship for journalists to address digital rights and gender issues. This initiative aims to enhance journalists' skills in producing investigative and rights-based reporting.
Summary

ISLAMABAD - Marking World Press Freedom Day, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) in collaboration with Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD) announced an innovative training fellowship designed to enhance journalists' capacity to report on digital rights and internet governance through gender-sensitive, rights-based perspectives.

Supported by UNESCO's International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), this initiative strengthens NCHR's leadership role in Pakistan's Digital Gender Inclusion Strategy, where the Commission heads the Safety and Security Working Group.

The fellowship will equip 12 selected journalists with specialized knowledge and practical tools to:

Produce in-depth reporting on digital rights and gender inclusion
Generate investigative journalism highlighting digital gender disparities
Increase public awareness through sustained media engagement across platforms
Apply UNESCO's ROAM-X framework to local contexts

Key Program Components:

Comprehensive Training: Combining theory and practice covering:

Internet Universality principles
Pakistan's digital gender landscape
Rights-based reporting techniques
Digital safety protocols
Legal frameworks including PECA

Mentorship Phase: Fellows will receive personalized guidance from experienced journalists/editors to develop and publish their stories.

National Alignment: Curriculum tailored to Pakistan's context with NCHR's input on:

Human rights protections
Digital safety policies
Regulatory environment

Leadership Perspectives: "Despite growing digital access in Pakistan, the persistent gender digital divide continues restricting women's full participation. Journalists play a pivotal role in raising awareness and holding institutions accountable," emphasized NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeria Agha.

Sadaf Khan, MMfD Co-Founder, added: "As digital technologies increasingly control information access, we must equip journalists to report these issues through rights-based, gender-sensitive lenses. This fellowship builds that crucial capacity."

Deadline: May 15, 2025

Apply at: https://forms.gle/ycYhYjoo8kXfbDd86

Photo: Representational

Ø§ÛŒÙ† Ø³ÛŒ Ø§ÛŒÚ† Ø¢Ø± Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø§ÛŒÙ… Ø§ÛŒÙ… Ø§ÛŒÙ ÚˆÛŒ Ù†Û' ØµØØ§ÙÛŒÙˆÚº Ú©Ùˆ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ ØÙ‚ÙˆÙ‚ Ø§ÙˆØ± ØµÙ†ÙÛŒ Ø´Ù…ÙˆÙ„ÛŒØª Ù¾Ø± Ø¨Ø§Ø§Ø®ØªÛŒØ§Ø± Ø¨Ù†Ø§Ù†Û' Ú©Û' Ù„ÛŒÛ' ÙÛŒÙ„ÙˆØ´Ù¾ Ú©Ø§ Ø§Ø¹Ù„Ø§Ù† Ú©Ø± Ø¯ÛŒØ§

Ø§Ø³Ù„Ø§Ù… Ø¢Ø¨Ø§Ø¯: Ø¹Ø§Ù„Ù…ÛŒ ÛŒÙˆÙ…Ù Ø¢Ø²Ø§Ø¯ÛŒ ØµØØ§ÙØª Ú©Û' Ù…ÙˆÙ‚Ø¹ Ù¾Ø±ØŒ Ù†ÛŒØ´Ù†Ù„ Ú©Ù…ÛŒØ´Ù† Ø¨Ø±Ø§Ø¦Û' Ø§Ù†Ø³Ø§Ù†ÛŒ ØÙ‚ÙˆÙ‚ (Ø§ÛŒÙ† Ø³ÛŒ Ø§ÛŒÚ† Ø¢Ø±) Ù†Û' Ù…ÛŒÚˆÛŒØ§ Ù…ÛŒÙ¹Ø±Ø² ÙØ§Ø± ÚˆÛŒÙ…ÙˆÚ©Ø±ÛŒØ³ÛŒ (Ø§ÛŒÙ… Ø§ÛŒÙ… Ø§ÛŒÙ ÚˆÛŒ) Ú©Û' Ø§Ø´ØªØ±Ø§Ú© Ø³Û' ØµØØ§ÙÛŒÙˆÚº Ú©Û' Ù„ÛŒÛ' Ø§ÛŒÚ© ØªØ±Ø¨ÛŒØªÛŒ ÙÛŒÙ„ÙˆØ´Ù¾ Ú©Ø§ Ø§Ø¹Ù„Ø§Ù† Ú©ÛŒØ§ ÛÛ'Û" Ø§Ø³ Ú©Ø§ Ù…Ù‚ØµØ¯ ØµØØ§ÙÛŒÙˆÚº Ú©ÛŒ Ù¾ÛŒØ´Û ÙˆØ±Ø§Ù†Û ØµÙ„Ø§ØÛŒØª Ú©Ùˆ Ø¨Ú'Ú¾Ø§Ù†Ø§ ÛÛ' ØªØ§Ú©Û ÙˆÛ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ ØÙ‚ÙˆÙ‚ Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø§Ù†Ù¹Ø±Ù†ÛŒÙ¹ Ú¯ÙˆØ±Ù†Ù†Ø³ Ù¾Ø± ØµÙ†ÙÛŒ ØØ³Ø§Ø³ÛŒØª Ø§ÙˆØ± ØÙ‚ÙˆÙ‚ Ù¾Ø± Ù…Ø¨Ù†ÛŒ Ù†Ù‚Ø·Û Ù†Ø¸Ø± Ø³Û' Ø±Ù¾ÙˆØ±Ù¹Ù†Ú¯ Ú©Ø± Ø³Ú©ÛŒÚºÛ" ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒØ³Ú©Ùˆ Ú©Û' Ø§Ù†Ù¹Ø±Ù†ÛŒØ´Ù†Ù„ Ù¾Ø±ÙˆÚ¯Ø±Ø§Ù… ÙØ§Ø± Ø¯ÛŒ ÚˆÙˆÛŒÙ„Ù¾Ù…Ù†Ù¹ Ø¢Ù Ú©Ù…ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒÚ©ÛŒØ´Ù† (Ø¢Ø¦ÛŒ Ù¾ÛŒ ÚˆÛŒ Ø³ÛŒ) Ú©ÛŒ Ù…Ø¹Ø§ÙˆÙ†Øª Ø³Û' Ú†Ù„Ù†Û' ÙˆØ§Ù„ÛŒ ÛŒÛ Ù¾ÛÙ„ Ø§ÛŒÙ† Ø³ÛŒ Ø§ÛŒÚ† Ø¢Ø± Ú©Û' Ú©Ø±Ø¯Ø§Ø± Ú©Ùˆ Ø¨Ú¾ÛŒ Ù…Ø¶Ø¨ÙˆØ· Ø¨Ù†Ø§ØªÛŒ ÛÛ'ØŒ Ø¬Ùˆ Ù¾Ø§Ú©Ø³ØªØ§Ù† Ú©ÛŒ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ Ø¬Ù†ÚˆØ± Ø§Ù†Ú©Ù„ÙˆÚ˜Ù† Ø§Ø³Ù¹Ø±ÛŒÙ¹ÛŒØ¬ÛŒ Ù…ÛŒÚº Ø³ÛŒÙÙ¹ÛŒ Ø§ÛŒÙ†Úˆ Ø³ÛŒÚ©ÛŒÙˆØ±Ù¹ÛŒ ÙˆØ±Ú©Ù†Ú¯ Ú¯Ø±ÙˆÙ¾ Ú©ÛŒ Ù‚ÛŒØ§Ø¯Øª Ú©Ø± Ø±ÛØ§ ÛÛ'Û"

ÛŒÛ ÙÛŒÙ„ÙˆØ´Ù¾ 12 ØµØØ§ÙÛŒÙˆÚº Ú©Ùˆ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ ØÙ‚ÙˆÙ‚ Ø§ÙˆØ± ØµÙ†ÙÛŒ Ø´Ù…ÙˆÙ„ÛŒØª Ù¾Ø± Ø±Ù¾ÙˆØ±Ù¹Ù†Ú¯ Ú©Û' Ù„ÛŒÛ' Ø¶Ø±ÙˆØ±ÛŒ Ø¹Ù„Ù… Ø§ÙˆØ± Ù¹ÙˆÙ„Ø² ÙØ±Ø§ÛÙ… Ú©Ø±Û' Ú¯ÛŒÛ" Ø§Ø³ Ú©Û' Ø¹Ù„Ø§ÙˆÛØŒ ÛŒÛ Ù…Ø¹ÛŒØ§Ø±ÛŒ ØªØÙ‚ÛŒÙ‚Ø§ØªÛŒ ØµØØ§ÙØª Ú©Ùˆ ÙØ±ÙˆØº Ø¯Û' Ú¯Ø§ Ø¬Ùˆ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ ØµÙ†ÙÛŒ Ø´Ù…ÙˆÙ„ÛŒØª Ú©Û' Ù…Ø³Ø§Ø¦Ù„ Ú©Ùˆ Ø§Ø¬Ø§Ú¯Ø± Ú©Ø±Û' Ú¯ÛŒ Ø§ÙˆØ± Ù…ÛŒÚˆÛŒØ§ Ú©Û' Ø°Ø±ÛŒØ¹Û' Ø¹ÙˆØ§Ù…ÛŒ Ø¢Ú¯Ø§ÛŒ Ø¨Ú'Ú¾Ø§Ø¦Û' Ú¯ÛŒÛ"

Ø§ÛŒÙ† Ø³ÛŒ Ø§ÛŒÚ† Ø¢Ø± Ú©ÛŒ Ú†ÛŒØ¦Ø±Ù¾Ø±Ø³Ù† Ø±Ø¨ÛŒØ¹Û Ø¬Ø§ÙˆÛŒØ±ÛŒÛ Ø¢ØºØ§ Ù†Û' Ø§Ø³ Ø§Ù‚Ø¯Ø§Ù… Ú©Û' Ù¾Ø³ Ù…Ù†Ø¸Ø± Ù¾Ø± Ø¨Ø§Øª Ú©Ø±ØªÛ' ÛÙˆØ¦Û' Ú©ÛØ§ØŒ "Ù¾Ø§Ú©Ø³ØªØ§Ù† Ù…ÛŒÚº ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ Ø±Ø³Ø§Ø¦ÛŒ Ø¨Ú'Ú¾Ù†Û' Ú©Û' Ø¨Ø§ÙˆØ¬ÙˆØ¯ØŒ ØµÙ†ÙÛŒ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ ØªÙ‚Ø³ÛŒÙ… Ø®ÙˆØ§ØªÛŒÙ† Ú©ÛŒ Ù…Ú©Ù…Ù„ Ø´Ø±Ú©Øª Ú©Ùˆ Ù…ØØ¯ÙˆØ¯ Ú©Ø± Ø±ÛÛŒ ÛÛ'Û" ØµØØ§ÙÛŒÙˆÚº Ú©Ø§ Ú©Ø±Ø¯Ø§Ø± Ø¢Ú¯Ø§ÛÛŒ Ù¾Ú¾ÛŒÙ„Ø§Ù†Û'ØŒ Ø¹ÙˆØ§Ù…ÛŒ Ù…Ú©Ø§Ù„Ù…Û' Ú©Ùˆ Ù…ØªØ§Ø«Ø± Ú©Ø±Ù†Û' Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø§Ø¯Ø§Ø±ÙˆÚº Ú©Ùˆ Ø¬ÙˆØ§Ø¨Ø¯Û Ù¹Ú¾ÛØ±Ø§Ù†Û' Ù…ÛŒÚº Ø§ÛÙ… ÛÛ'Û""

Ø§Ù†ÛÙˆÚº Ù†Û' Ú©ÛØ§ Ú©Û ØªØ±Ø¨ÛŒØª Ù…ÛŒÚº Ù†Ø¸Ø±ÛŒØ§ØªÛŒ Ø¹Ù„Ù… Ú©Û' Ø³Ø§ØªÚ¾ Ø¹Ù…Ù„ÛŒ Ù…ÛØ§Ø±ØªÛŒÚº Ø¨Ú¾ÛŒ Ø´Ø§Ù…Ù„ ÛÙˆÚº Ú¯ÛŒØŒ Ø¬Ø³ Ù…ÛŒÚº Ø§Ù†Ù¹Ø±Ù†ÛŒÙ¹ ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒÙˆØ±Ø³Ù„ÛŒÙ¹ÛŒØŒ ÛŒÙˆÙ†ÛŒØ³Ú©Ùˆ Ú©Ø§ ROAM-X ÙØ±ÛŒÙ… ÙˆØ±Ú©ØŒ Ù¾Ø§Ú©Ø³ØªØ§Ù† Ú©Ø§ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ Ø¬Ù†ÚˆØ± Ù„ÛŒÙ†Úˆ Ø§Ø³Ú©ÛŒÙ¾ØŒ ØµÙ†ÙÛŒ ØØ³Ø§Ø³ Ø±Ù¾ÙˆØ±Ù¹Ù†Ú¯ØŒ ØªØÙ‚ÛŒÙ‚Ø§ØªÛŒ ØµØØ§ÙØªØŒ Ù¾ÛŒ Ø§ÛŒ Ø³ÛŒ Ø§Û' Ø¬ÛŒØ³Û' Ù‚ÙˆØ§Ù†ÛŒÙ†ØŒ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ ØÙØ§Ø¸Øª Ú©Û' Ø·Ø±ÛŒÙ‚Û' Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø§Ø¯Ø§Ø±ØªÛŒ Ø±ÛÙ†Ù…Ø§Ø¦ÛŒ Ø´Ø§Ù…Ù„ ÛÙˆÚº Ú¯Û'Û"

Ø§ÛŒÙ… Ø§ÛŒÙ… Ø§ÛŒÙ ÚˆÛŒ Ú©ÛŒ Ø´Ø±ÛŒÚ© Ø¨Ø§Ù†ÛŒ ØµØ¯Ù Ø®Ø§Ù† Ù†Û' Ú©ÛØ§ØŒ "ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ Ø¯Ù†ÛŒØ§ Ù…ÛŒÚº ØµÙ†ÙÛŒ Ø´Ù…ÙˆÙ„ÛŒØª Ú©Ùˆ ÙØ±ÙˆØº Ø¯ÛŒÙ†Û' Ú©Û' Ù„ÛŒÛ' Ø¨Ø§Ø®Ø¨Ø± Ø§ÙˆØ± Ø¨Ø§Ø±ÛŒÚ© Ø¨ÛŒÙ† ØµØØ§ÙØª Ú©ÛŒ Ø¶Ø±ÙˆØ±Øª ÛÛ'Û" Ø¢Ø¬ ÚˆÛŒØ¬ÛŒÙ¹Ù„ Ù¹ÛŒÚ©Ù†Ø§Ù„ÙˆØ¬ÛŒØ² Ù…Ø¹Ù„ÙˆÙ…Ø§Øª ØªÚ© Ø±Ø³Ø§Ø¦ÛŒ Ú©Ùˆ Ú©Ù†Ù¹Ø±ÙˆÙ„ Ú©Ø± Ø±ÛÛŒ ÛÛŒÚºØŒ Ø§Ø³ Ù„ÛŒÛ' ØµØØ§ÙÛŒÙˆÚº Ú©Ø§ Ø§Ù† Ù…Ø³Ø§Ø¦Ù„ Ù¾Ø± ØÙ‚ÙˆÙ‚ Ù¾Ø± Ù…Ø¨Ù†ÛŒ Ø±Ù¾ÙˆØ±Ù¹Ù†Ú¯ Ú©Ø±Ù†Ø§ Ø§Ù†ØªÛØ§Ø¦ÛŒ Ø§ÛÙ… ÛÛ'Û" ÛŒÛ ÙÛŒÙ„ÙˆØ´Ù¾ Ø§Ø³ ØµÙ„Ø§ØÛŒØª Ú©Ùˆ Ø¨Ú'Ú¾Ø§Ù†Û' Ú©Ø§ Ø§ÛŒÚ© Ù…ÙˆÙ‚Ø¹ ÛÛ'Û""

KEY POINTS:

Fellowship targets 12 journalists with specialized training.
Focus on digital rights, gender-sensitive reporting, and investigative journalism.
Mentorship provided by experienced journalists for story development.
Supported by UNESCO's International Programme for the Development of Communication.
Application deadline is May 15, 2025.