Launching of the first Euro-Mediterranean Women in Journalism Award

6 July 2026 | News

The European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) is partnering with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in the launch of the first edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Women in Journalism Award, a new initiative recognising excellence in gender-sensitive, solutions-oriented journalism that promotes cross-border cooperation and challenges harmful narratives across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Anna Lindh Foundation’s president, Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali, will be on the jury alongside European Institute of the Mediterranean executive president Senén Florensa and the International Federation of Journalists’ Gender Council chair, María Ángeles Samperio.

Developed by the UfM together with the Euro-Mediterranean Network of Women Journalists, the award is also supported by the Anna Lindh Foundation, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and IEMed, whose representatives will serve on the competition’s jury.

The award is open to women journalists from the UfM Member States. Individual submissions must be authored by a woman, while collaborative entries must have a female lead author and women must represent at least 50% of the reporting team.

Entries should address one or more of the priorities set out in the UfM Vision Statement, including gender equality, youth engagement, socioeconomic inclusion, higher education, research and innovation, environmental sustainability, climate action, water and energy resilience, employment, trade, digital transformation and other key regional challenges.

More information on the UfM’s website

The call for applications is open until 13 September 2026 (23:59 CET). The winning journalist will receive full sponsorship to attend the award ceremony and gain access to the UfM-supported Euro-Mediterranean Network of Women Journalists, including its in-person networking opportunities and professional capacity-building activities.

Through its participation in this initiative, IEMed reaffirms its commitment to fostering quality journalism, promoting gender equality and strengthening dialogue and cooperation across the Euro-Mediterranean region.