The Africa Extractives Media Fellowship (AEMF) has been highlighted as a model for advancing women’s leadership through targeted training and mentorship in Ghana’s extractive sector.

Rebecca Asante, CEO of NewsWire Africa, said the programme deliberately prioritises women participants and mentors to address gender imbalances in reporting on the mining and extractives industries.

“We searched for female mentors in the extractives industry — women who had sat at decision-making tables — and asked them to stand behind the next generation,” she said.

The fellowship, developed by NewsWire Africa with support from partners including the Australian High Commission, focuses on strengthening journalism on Africa’s extractive industries while giving young journalists, especially women, access to the skills and networks needed to lead.

Australian High Commissioner Berenice Owen-Jones said the programme has produced tangible benefits since its inception.

“Through our collaboration with NewsWire Africa, including the Africa Extractives Media Fellowship, we have seen what happens when doors are opened for women through mentorship, training and access to expertise. We have seen young women reporting on one of the most strategically important sectors of Ghana’s economy: mining,” she said.

She added that the fellowship has enabled new voices to enter national conversations on natural resources, governance, and development, helping shape public understanding of the sector through purpose-driven, public-interest journalism.

Industry leaders have also contributed to the programme’s success. Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, former Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, was among the mentors guiding participants.

Since its creation, the Africa Extractives Media Fellowship has empowered young journalists to report on Ghana’s mining sector and contribute meaningfully to discussions on governance, resource management, and gender representation in extractives reporting.