EJN Awards 11 Story Grants for Asia Pacific Journalists to Report on the Gendered Impacts of Environmental and Climate Crises

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Media coverage often highlights the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change on women and gender and sexual minorities (GSM) without fully exploring how these lived experiences are distinctly different as a consequence of gender, and of gender-blind or gender-insensitive policy responses.

EJN’s Asia-Pacific project, with support from Sida, is pleased to award 11 grants of up to $2000 each to selected women journalists and those who identify as gender and sexual minorities from the Asia-Pacific region to produce in-depth reports on the gendered impacts of the environmental and climate crises. Their stories will highlight the intersectional challenges faced by these groups and bring awareness to women- and minority-led initiatives to strengthen environmental and climate resilience.

These are the selected journalists:A

mita Arudpragasam, Sri Lanka (Himal Southasian)
Chris Thao Trinh, Vietnam (South China Morning Post)
Ei Ei Mon, Myanmar (Doh Athan – Our Voice)
Febrianti, Indonesia (Ekuatorial)
Hamna Iqbal Baig, Pakistan (The Citizenry)
Lady Ann Salem (Philippines, Manila Today)
Manu Moudgil, India (Queerbeat)
Nunthachai Phupoget, Thailand (Toeyeyes)
Sonya Yulistan Andomo, Indonesia (Mongabay Indonesia)
Sukanya Roy, India (BehanBox)
Wang Yan, China (NewsChina Magazine)

Their stories will highlight how heat waves threaten the health of pregnant women in Pakistan, how conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has driven farming communities away from their rice fields, how widespread logging has affected Indigenous women herbalists in Vietnam, and how transgender communities have limited sustainable livelihood opportunities in Thailand, among several other issues.

The grantees will receive funding and 1-1 editorial support from EJN mentors. In addition, they will have the opportunity to engage with EJN’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor throughout the story production process.

“Through supporting journalists to take a closer look into how gender and sexual minority groups are affected by climate change, pollution and other environmental problems, we hope their experiences and voices will be heard more widely,” said Amy Sim, Regional Program Manager for Internews’ Asia-Pacific Environmental Programs. “It’s a big step towards ensuring policymaking processes will be more participatory and policy responses will better take into account the impacts on different gender groups.”

Look out for grantees’ stories, which will be republished on the EJN website in early 2025.

Please note: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations include, but are not limited to, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, queer, and/or intersex. These gender identities intersect with class, race, ethnic background, disability and age. Conflating “women” and “gender” reinforces a binary and non-intersectional understanding of genders.

SOURCE: EJN