Thousands of pounds are set to be awarded to five women journalists to help them shine a light on economic and social inequality.

Women in Journalism Scotland and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have launched the inaugural WiJS x JRF bursary programme, which will give out grants of £1,500 to five successful applicants.

The funding will be spent on working up each project from an idea stage to a developed pitch ready to be taken to a publication or launched independently, while part of the bursary programme involves working with an established woman journalist who will support them.

Staff journalists are welcome to apply as well as freelancers, but there must be no contractual barrier to them pitching their project to a wide range of publications.

Applicants must also have experienced economic inequality at some stage in their lives.

Women in Journalism Scotland chair Gabriella Bennett, pictured, said: “This is an essential opportunity to eliminate financial hurdles that would usually stop women journalists from working on long-form journalism.

“It’s also a great chance for publications to find new voices and dazzling pitches.”

Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation added: “The Covid-19 pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis must surely convince us that we can do better than this.

“Poverty, and the inequality that underpins it, is bearing its teeth in a way that cannot be tolerated in a society as wealthy as Scotland.

“This exciting project’s aim is to shine a light on both the causes and cures for poverty and inequality and to help support more women journalists to use their experience and skill, with support from their peers and us, to do so.”

More information about the project can be found here.