I’m reaching out because we need your support to help eight emerging migrant and racialised women journalists access the training, mentoring and industry opportunities they deserve.
Journalism is stronger when the people telling our stories reflect the communities they serve. At a time when migrant and racialised communities are too often spoken about rather than heard, it is more important than ever that women from these communities have the opportunity to tell their own stories and help shape the media.
This autumn, we'll launch the MWP Emerging Women Journalists Fellowship — a six-month programme providing professional journalism training, one-to-one mentoring, paid publication opportunities, industry placements and a supportive community for women at the beginning of their careers.
We've already secured part of the funding and are working with universities, media organisations and mentors to make the Fellowship happen. Community donations will help us bridge the remaining gap and ensure these opportunities are available to all eight fellows.
To learn more about the Fellowship and the impact of last year's programme, you can read our 2026-27 Fellowship Concept Note and 2025–26 Impact Report.
Last year, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we supported ten women to publish original journalism, build confidence, strengthen their portfolios and take meaningful steps towards careers in the media. Their reporting highlighted underreported issues affecting Scotland’s diverse communities, amplifying voices too often overlooked and contributing to a more inclusive media landscape.
What fellows said:
"I didn't really think of myself as a journalist before this. Since then I have pitched to other places and had that confidence like, 'Well I built up this portfolio, I've actually got this quite major thing that I've done as part of this'."
“The programme made me feel represented and valued as a migrant woman. My experiences were treated as knowledge, not as background.”
This autumn, we're hoping to provide the same life-changing opportunities to a new cohort of eight emerging journalists—but we can't do it without our community.
Every donation, whatever the amount, helps open doors into journalism for talented women who might otherwise never have the opportunity.
As a guide:
£10 helps provide learning resources for a fellow.
£30 supports the Fellowship and includes a complimentary copy of our 2025 Fellowship print magazine.If you donate £30 or more, please email your name and postal address to migrantwomenpress@gmail.com so we can send you your complimentary copy of the magazine.
£50 helps provide one-to-one mentoring and professional development.
£100 helps fund reporting, publication and career opportunities for a fellow.
If you believe journalism should better reflect the communities it serves, please consider making a donation today. Support the Fellowship here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XN9S57L7TSRN8
If donating isn't possible right now, sharing this appeal with your friends, family and colleagues would also make a real difference.
Thank you for believing in our work and for helping us build a media landscape where more women can tell their own stories, challenge harmful narratives and ensure our communities are represented with accuracy, fairness and dignity.
Together, we can create opportunities for the next generation of migrant and racialised women journalists—and build a media that better reflects the society we all live in.
With gratitude,
Juliana da Penha
Founding Editor & Executive Director
Migrant Women Press