International Development Grant
Mobilizing the Media to fight the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Project Number: CA-3-P009475001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $979,856.00
Start Date: July 14, 2020
End Date: February 15, 2023
Duration: 2.6 years
Project Description
This project aims to combat the impact of COVID-19 on human rights particularly those of women and girls. Project activities include: (1) providing training to journalists to report on the status of human rights and women’s rights as affected by COVID -19. This includes access to health-care and social services; (2) providing training to journalists to identify misinformation and disinformation on COVID-19 to debunk dangerous myths in social media; (3) providing training to journalists to only report scientifically valid information to the public; (4) educating targeted communities on how to detect misinformation and disinformation in the media and to find credible sources of information about COVID-19; and (5) providing training to communities to recognize when their human rights are not being observed due to COVID-19. This project is being implemented in Gambia Ghana Iraq Liberia Mali Mauritania Sierra Leone South Africa Tanzania Tunisia Uganda and Yemen.
Expected Results
The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved media coverage of COVID-19 and its gender impacts in targeted countries; and (2) improved public understanding on the impact of COVID-19 on human rights in particular the rights of women and girls in targeted countries.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of February 2023 include: (1) improved by 290% media coverage of COVID-19 and its gender impacts in targeted countries; (2) trained 730 journalists (411 women and 319 men) and demonstrated improved knowledge and analytical techniques in their stories on COVID-19 impact and vaccine programs; and (3) improved by 75% public understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on human rights particularly the rights of women and girls in targeted countries. Also reached 143 042 590 audience through story production online forums and webinars on debunking misinformation and disinformation and the impact of COVID-19 and access to vaccines on human rights and gender equality. The project produced 1 803 health-related human rights media stories with a focus on the gendered impact of the pandemic and 1 052 stories on COVID-19 vaccinations with a focus on the gendered dimension of access to the vaccine. Also 53 civil society organizations collaborated in roundtables webinars and online forums with journalists and experts on women’s rights gender-based violence and health literacy.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
JHR - Journalists for Human Rights
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Unsolicited Proposal