Australia Backs Ghana’s Women Journalists through Dikan Empowerment Program

As media freedom comes under increasing threat globally, the Australian High Commission in Ghana is taking a stand to strengthen the role of women in journalism through targeted support to Dikan, a Ghanaian media and storytelling institute. The initiative was announced by High Commissioner Berenice Owen-Jones during the 2025 World Press Freedom Day commemoration organized by AfriMass Network’s Newsroom Business Initiative.

Through its Direct Aid Program, the Australian High Commission is supporting Dikan to run a comprehensive empowerment initiative for women journalists in Ghana. The initiative is designed to tackle long-standing structural challenges that limit the participation and advancement of women in the media industry, including gender-based discrimination, harassment, and limited leadership opportunities.

“This program will provide capacity-building workshops, mentorship, and safety training, while equipping participants with essential skills to produce impactful investigative stories and navigate threats in the field,” Owen-Jones stated during her keynote address. She emphasized that these efforts are part of a broader push to create safer and more inclusive media environments across the region.

The High Commissioner noted that women in journalism face a unique set of challenges, often intensified by technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI). These include gendered online harassment, the use of deepfakes, and disinformation campaigns specifically targeted at discrediting or intimidating female journalists.

According to a global study by UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists, 73% of female journalists have experienced some form of online violence. This trend is not just limited to the digital realm; in some cases, it escalates into real-world threats and attacks. Owen-Jones described this phenomenon as “technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV),” and stressed its seriousness as a barrier to achieving gender equity in media.

The Dikan program is therefore both timely and necessary. By offering practical tools and a supportive network, it aims to boost the confidence and visibility of women journalists and support them in telling compelling, investigative stories that hold power to account. “Journalists serve the public good,” Owen-Jones remarked, “and it is imperative that we protect and empower all journalists—especially those most vulnerable.”

The program also complements ongoing global conversations about diversity and inclusion in the newsroom. While journalism is fundamentally about telling stories, who gets to tell those stories—and how—can significantly shape public perception and policy. By enabling more women to play a leading role in newsrooms, the Dikan initiative supported by Australia contributes to a more balanced and representative media landscape.

The High Commissioner encouraged other diplomatic missions, media organizations, and civil society actors to support similar initiatives. “Let us ensure that World Press Freedom Day is not only a reminder of the freedoms we value but also a call to action,” she said, urging collective commitment to safeguard and elevate the voices of female journalists in Ghana and across the sub-region.