Helping women create plans for their future media careers, developing plans to get them there and promoting leadership skills – these tasks are part and parcel for those acting as coaches within WAN-IFRA’s Women In News (WIN) programme, now in its sixth year.

There was a time when Faith Oneya would enter the newsroom unnoticed. After quietly going about her day’s work, she would slip out the door and head home. Some might have described her as shy or even lacking in confidence. But that was then.

Since 2010, WAN-IFRA’s Women in News leadership development program has worked to empower women in the media to expect more professionally, to strive for executive positions and receive the training and support networks to do so.

Three years ago when WIN Graduate Emelda Libanga joined the Women In News (WIN) programme, she was subeditor at the Zambia Daily Mail. Today she is editor of the Sunday Mail, a position that brings about many more challenges and responsibilities, but also the possibility for real impact and change.