News Item
Open Call: Tell the stories behind digital violence against women and girls
- Issued on:
- Issued by:
- OSCE Mission to Skopje
Are you a young journalist, journalism student or emerging media professional? The OSCE Mission to Skopje is inviting young people aged 18–29 to tell stories about the digital dimension of violence against women and girls.
Violence does not stop when we go online. Harassment, stalking and threats can follow women and girls into digital spaces. Misogyny and harmful stereotypes can spread quickly online, while image-based abuse, impersonation and deepfakes bring new risks. What happens online can have very real consequences for women’s and girls’ safety, dignity and everyday lives.
But we also want to hear stories about solutions: what can prevent digital violence, what happens when someone seeks help, how institutions respond, and how women and girls recover and reclaim their space online.
What could your story explore?
Your story could look at:
- When online violence becomes real-life harm – from harassment, stalking and threats to image-based abuse, impersonation and deepfakes.
- Misogyny, harmful stereotypes and online attacks – how harmful attitudes, abusive content and coordinated attacks spread online.
- Prevention and safer digital spaces – including education, digital and media literacy, responsible journalism and the role of young people, media and online platforms.
- Reporting, support, justice and accountability – what happens when someone seeks help or reports digital violence, and how institutions respond.
- Impact, recovery and reclaiming digital spaces – how digital violence affects everyday life, as well as stories of recovery, resilience and good practices.
These are just some ideas. Applicants are encouraged to bring their own perspective, explore underreported issues and find creative ways to tell their story.
Who can apply?
The Open Call is for citizens of North Macedonia aged 18–29 who are young journalists, journalism students or emerging media professionals.
Submissions can be in Macedonian, Albanian and/or English and can take different forms:
- journalistic stories, articles and interviews – generally up to 2,000 words;
- podcasts – generally 5–20 minutes;
- videos – generally 2–5 minutes; or
- other media content.
Both newly produced work and relevant existing original work, including previously published or broadcast work, can be submitted. For previously published work, applicants must have the necessary rights and permissions and disclose where and when it was previously published or broadcast.
What are the awards?
Three media products will be selected:
🥇 1st place – a computer
🥈 2nd place – a tablet
🥉 3rd place – a mobile phone
The winning submissions will be presented at the 16 Days campaign kick-off event and may also be featured on the OSCE Mission to Skopje’s website and social-media channels.
How to apply
Send your application to Dushko.Todoroski@osce.org.
Your application should include:
- your media product;
- a completed entry form; and
- the required consent and declaration.
For audio and video files larger than 10 MB, please provide a link using a file-transfer/upload service.
📅 Deadline: 28 October 2026, 23:59 local time
Questions about the Open Call can also be sent to the contact above.
Before applying, please read the full Terms of Reference.
The Open Call is part of “Voices Against Violence: Youth Storytelling and Institutional Dialogue on the Digital Dimension of Violence Against Women and Girls,” the OSCE Mission to Skopje’s 2026 initiative for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
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