For the second consecutive year, Women Who Won the War is continuing its support for women journalists by awarding its 2026 fellowships to Syrian journalists Nirmeen al-Abbas and Zeinab Afifa. The fellowships are designed to help them strengthen their skills and produce in-depth investigative stories.

The fellowship runs for three months, with the possibility of an extension based on a joint assessment. Each journalist follows a tailored path reflecting her professional needs and goals, combining editorial supervision, specialized training, professional mentorship, and networking opportunities with media organizations and platforms. The fellowship also provides the resources needed to develop at least one investigation, from research and documentation to publication, alongside support sessions that recognize the sensitive or potentially traumatic nature of some stories.

“This fellowship is more than a training opportunity. It is a space that helps Syrian women journalists build more sustainable and independent professional careers,” says Rasha Faek, Institutional Development Manager at Women Who Won the War. “We provide both fellows with editorial guidance and opportunities for professional development and networking, strengthening their ability to produce in-depth journalism and connect with new professional circles.”

“Supporting women journalists also means supporting a more diverse and visible Syrian media landscape that is better equipped to address the issues affecting Syrians today,” Faek adds. “We hope this fellowship will offer a practical foundation on which the journalists can continue to build, with an impact that extends well beyond the fellowship period.”

Nirmeen al-Abbas and Zeinab Afifa had already participated in programs and projects implemented by Women Who Won the War with its partners before joining the fellowship. While both share an interest in investigative journalism, each brings a distinct professional background that has shaped her needs and goals during the program.

Nirmeen al-Abbas is a Syrian investigative journalist with a bachelor’s degree in media studies from Damascus University. She is currently pursuing a diploma in data journalism with Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ).

Her relationship with Women Who Won the War began through sessions and workshops organized by the organization in Damascus. This collaboration later developed through “Nawa”, a project launched last year by Women Who Won the War and ARIJ to help women journalists develop investigative hypotheses and turn them into publishable investigations.

Nirmeen participated in the project’s in-person training in Damascus and continued developing her hypothesis through the Women Who Won the War clinic and joint editorial sessions with ARIJ.

Her participation resulted in an investigation examining the journey of cancer patients in Syria, from the country’s specialized oncology hospital to the queues of charitable organizations they turn to in search of treatment and assistance. The project also enabled her to attend the ARIJ Forum and work in its newsroom.

Reflecting on her current experience, Nirmeen says: “It has now been one month and 20 days since I began my journey with the Women Who Won the War fellowship. It has been an intensive period of journalistic work and professional development. The fellowship has allowed me to work in a supportive journalistic environment grounded in direct and continuous editorial guidance, where we are actively developing ideas for investigative stories and building in-depth reports.”

She adds that the mentoring and training sessions have given her “a broader perspective and more precise tools” for working with field material and sources.

Zeinab Afifa joined the fellowship after participating in several programs implemented by Women Who Won the War with its partners, experiences that strengthened her interest in investigative journalism and in-depth reporting.

Zeinab is a Syrian journalist who holds a diploma in investigative journalism from ARIJ. Her collaboration with Women Who Won the War and the Arab Fact-Checkers Network began through the Uncovering False Narratives Program for Syrian Female Journalists.

She later participated in the Nawa project and had the opportunity to attend the ARIJ Forum. She also joined the Her Turn training program, implemented by Germany’s taz Panter Foundation in partnership with Women Who Won the War.

Zeinab says the fellowship has helped her acquire new skills, particularly in investigative journalism. As a member of the Women Who Won the War network, she also attended a training program in Jordan with Forbidden Stories. She is currently working with Women Who Won the War to develop a cross-border investigation.

For Zeinab, the fellowship’s impact extends beyond professional skills. She says it has given her “a sense of belonging to a community of Arab women journalists who demonstrate a high level of professionalism and human commitment.” She adds that she continues to gain skills that are particularly important at this early stage of her journalistic career.

The first edition of the fellowship hosted Syrian journalist Roaa Nasser and Tunisian journalist Hikma Musaddaq in 2025. Their experiences helped shape the second edition, allowing it to respond more closely to the needs and professional journeys of participating journalists.

By connecting earlier experiences with new professional paths, Women Who Won the War is building a community that extends beyond the fellowship period, creating opportunities for women journalists to collaborate, produce in-depth investigations, and strengthen their presence in the media landscape.