As we continue celebrating 10 years of Wiki Loves Women, we are looking not only at what has been achieved, but also at how the initiative continues to evolve and create new opportunities for people to learn, create, and share their knowledge. After a decade of making women more visible through initiatives such as SheSaid, the ISA Campaign, and Wiki OTO, we are now turning the spotlight to another part of the work: building practical skills through learning and doing.
In 2026, Wiki Loves Women launched the Skills Focus Programme, a practical, group-based online learning programme that gives participants the opportunity to develop a specific skill while creating something of their own. Each cohort explores one theme and brings together people of different backgrounds and genders to learn, practise, exchange ideas, and work towards a tangible final result.
The programme builds on the experience of the Wiki Loves Women Focus Group, which ran from 2021 to 2025 and created a space for people to exchange knowledge, learn from one another, and strengthen their skills. In 2026, this approach evolved into a more focused cohort model, with each group exploring one specific skill over a defined period and immediately putting what they learn into practice.
For its first 2026 edition, the programme is exploring audio storytelling and podcast production. Participants are learning how to turn an idea into a story, find and approach the right guest, design a conversation, record an interview, edit the audio, and communicate the final story to an audience.
The first call for the programme attracted 29 applications from people with different experiences and backgrounds. From these applications, 15 participants were selected, bringing together participants from across Africa, India, and Italy.
The 2026 edition covers four main areas: finding a story and choosing a guest, designing the conversation, recording and audio production, and editing, branding and communication. Between sessions, participants work on their own podcast episodes, applying each new skill as they develop their final pieces.
The output: a podcast episode
Each participant will produce a podcast episode exploring a story, person, experience, or issue related to women and gender.
The episodes may introduce a woman who inspires them, explore a gender gap or challenge, or bring attention to a topic that deserves greater visibility. Together, they will bring different stories, experiences, and perspectives from across the participating communities to a wider audience. At the same time, each participant will leave the programme with a practical piece of work and skills they can continue to use beyond it.
Stay tuned as our participants turn their ideas into stories, conversations, and podcast episodes.