British High Commission begins media mentoring programme

Islamabad : The British High Commission on Tuesday announced the launch of the Chevening Mentoring Scheme for budding Pakistani journalists.

According to Fouzia Younis, head of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the British High Commission, Islamabad, the three-month programme is meant for women and members of religious minorities working either for media outlets or as freelance journalists across Pakistan.

Fellows from the flagship Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme will act as mentors for those picked to join the scheme and will share their knowledge and experience with young journalists on one-on-one coaching sessions, as well as group discussions.

“To mark 75 years of Pakistan's independence this year, I am pleased to announce the launch of a new mentoring programme for backing and bringing up talented women and minority journalists. They will get to learn from some of the best journalists in their profession, and bring their stories to readers in Pakistan, the UK, and around the world,” she told reporters here.

Fouzia Younis said the British High Commission inaugurated a successful, similar mentorship programme targeted at lawyers and entrepreneurs in 2020, while its second phase was launched last year during which Chevening alumni mentored a group of eight women and two men.

She added that the participants of the programme benefitted in a wide range of areas, enabling them to become thought leaders and to drive positive change in their chosen field.

"The year 2022 marks 75 years of UK-Pakistan relations with a programme of joint activities planned throughout the year," she said.

According to her, the Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship is meant for mid-career journalists from South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, and is hosted by the University of Westminster and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

The SAJP fellowship offers full programme fees, living expenses for the duration of the fellowship, and return economy flight for the UK. To be eligible for a Chevening SAJP Fellowship, applicants must have at least seven years of work experience prior to applying and a postgraduate level qualification at the time of application. Applicants should be mid-career journalists working in the political or economic sectors in Pakistan and have a good working knowledge of English (which may be assessed by a qualified English language assessor).

"The British High Commission supports inclusion, education, and opportunity for all. Over the years, BHC has made efforts to encourage more women to apply, as a result of which female scholars have risen from just six per cent in 2013 to around 60 per cent last year. Anyone who has the ambition, curiosity, a clear vision for the future and the ability to achieve goals should apply for a Chevening Scholarship. Selected scholars will join a community of over 50,000 alumni worldwide," she said.

Mentor and journalist Rasheed Safi said despite the challenges, Pakistan had a vibrant and growing media with more women joining the profession.

He added that addressing those challenges and equipping women journalists with proper training and mentoring would be a solid step towards a more diverse and inclusive media landscape. BBC correspondent Sahar Baloch will also be a mentor.