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AP to examine COVID-19 impact on women in Africa with EJC grant

With funding from the European Journalism Centre, AP will examine the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women in Africa, including how women have been pushed to the brink in the least developed countries.

The project will allow AP to do deeper reporting in Africa in text, photos and video, telling character-driven stories in under-reported places.

It also aims to expand AP’s freelance network, with an emphasis on recruiting more women journalists in Africa.

A hospital worker receives one of Nigeria’s first COVID-19 vaccinations at Yaba Mainland hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, March 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

“The pandemic has hit women particularly hard, especially because many work in jobs that are more susceptible to the virus’ economic pressures that show no signs of abating soon,” said Anna Johnson, AP news director for Europe and Africa. “The pandemic also has put access to health care, education and other critical needs further out of reach.”

She added: “This grant will give our fantastic staff and freelancers more opportunities to tell compelling, character-driven stories about women and the issues they face amid the relentless pandemic while also showcasing stories of success.”

The European Journalism Centre, an international nonprofit headquartered in the Netherlands, announced the funding today.

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