With the support of the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), the Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA) has organized a two-day Leadership Training Program for Women Journalists at the Digital Media Department of the Punjab Universityâs School of Communication Studies in Lahore.
The sessions were conducted aimed to equip women working in the media sector with practical leadership, negotiation, safety, and decision-making skills, while addressing the deeply gendered challenges of newsrooms, press clubs, and journalist unions. The training brings together young women journalists from the provincial capital to reflect on leadership avenues, confront structural barriers, and build collective strategies to advance gender equity in media institutions.
Through interactive sessions, discussions, and practical exercises, the participants explored how leadership functions within media and how women can assert influence in traditionally male-dominated spaces. The first day of the training focused on the foundations of leadership and navigating power structures within newsrooms. The sessions addressed leadership competencies, gendered wage gaps and glass ceilings, negotiating assignments and promotions, and responding to resistance and sexism.
The day two shifted the focus to leadership beyond the newsroom, particularly within press clubs, press unions, and other media associations. The participants examined press club politics, gate-keeping practices, and the reasons behind womenâs under-representation in representative bodies. The training also offered practical strategies for contesting elections, building alliances, influencing policy change, and leading editorial and supervisory decisions.
Emphasis was also placed on networking, mentorship, and collective power as tools for long-term career growth and institutional change. In December 2025, a similar training was held in Islamabad. Both the Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development and the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives also plan to expand these training into Karachi in February.
âThrough this leadership training program designed for young women journalists, we aim to move beyond skills-building and create space for women to understand power, challenge and exclusion. By investing in women journalistsâ leadership, safety, and collective strength, we are working towards a more inclusive and accountable media sector,â Salwa Rana, Program Manager at IRADA, said.
âThis training has given us a new perspective and confidence in becoming a leader. It will help us grow and connect with others and guide new journalists to flourish in the future,” said Umaima Ahmed, a freelance journalist. âThe workshop has served as an excellent platform to reinforce leadership management skills for women journalists while emphasizing on today’s work culture and contemporary trends,” said Marian Sharaf Joseph, an independent journalist.
