Editor’s note: The grant period for the CNN As Equals project has ended. The final work in the series to be released in March 2026.
Note: This page was last updated in June 2024.
As Equals is a CNN project that aims to expose systemic gender inequality.
All of our major global challenges have a gender dimension, including but not limited to climate change, economic and health inequalities, rising authoritarianism, mass immigration, and algorithmic bias. It takes critical and tenacious journalism to expose everything.
Offering stories told by underrepresented voices about underreported issues in underreported parts of the world, As Equals focuses on taboo subjects, uses innovative presentations, and aims to make a difference.
With a dedicated team, As Equals will expand its coverage of gender coverage and build on CNN’s already established reputation for independent, world-class, mobile-first and thought-provoking journalism by expanding its coverage of gender coverage and producing across CNN’s platforms, including newsletters, audio, documentaries and events.
As Equals was originally founded in 2018 with the support of a year-long Innovation in Development Reporting grant from the European Center for Journalism. Thanks to CNN’s help, the series continued into 2019 and beyond.
In October 2020, CNN announced that it would expand the series with a new three-year, $3.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This funding can only be used by CNN for As Equals and will cover salaries and related staffing costs. Reporting and producing journalism in multiple formats. Commissioning freelance storytellers and organizing events.
CNN will continue to provide staff and logistical support to As Equals during the series.
Will the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have any impact on CNN’s journalism?
No, As Equals’ journalism is completely editorially independent. All output from the series adheres to CNN’s high standards to be fair, accurate, and responsible.
As with all grant-funded journalism, we provide regular reports to our funder, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to prove that CNN is spending its money in line with its intended purpose.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will grant funding to As Equals for four years, through December 31, 2024.
Patriarchy has shaped the world for the past several hundred years. Most institutions and social norms were created by men and for men. As a result, women have long been denied equal rights (such as the right to vote) and women continue to face myriad challenges around the world. Lack of equal legal rights. Lack of data and investment in research on gender issues. They bear the brunt of the burden of caregiving. early marriage, forced marriage, etc. Experiences with these challenges vary by gender and sexual identity, class, race and ethnicity, age, location and ability.
As Equals intends to spotlight these issues and report on them in a way that increases global understanding and creates tangible impact.
As Equals is committed to inclusivity. Our stories not only show what inequality between men and women looks like, but also how it’s not just limited to certain places or people, and why it persists around the world.
Tips and questions can be sent to the following email address: asequals@cnn.com
We are a small team and receive a lot of communication, so we appreciate your understanding.
As Equals doesn’t cover the news of the day. Rather, we seek to advance our understanding and knowledge of the causes and potential solutions to gender inequality by setting the news agenda through our investigative work and by highlighting human interest and data stories.
If you would like to send us a tip, or share an insight from our research, data from our research, or the names and contact information of some incredible people you think we should tell, please email us at asequals@cnn.com.
We select a few themes each year to give journalists and viewers the opportunity to cover issues and trends from multiple perspectives, increasing our potential for impact. Please contact us to find out what series we are currently working on.
Before pitching a story, first ask yourself a few questions.
Is my idea original? This may mean that it’s a topic, situation, or place that hasn’t yet received widespread coverage, but it may also mean that you have access to new information or alternative sources. Your report can help you present your story in new ways or help your audience see the big picture.
Am I the right person to tell this story? Do I have access that others don’t have? Can you understand a complex problem and tell a story about it clearly and engagingly? Have you researched or followed a topic carefully enough to see what others miss?
Are you ready to collaborate with others? The best journalism is collaborative. For example, you may have a great idea but lack the right contacts or data skills. If we asked you, would you be willing to work with our team as needed to tell your story?
How evergreen are my ideas? We’ll move quickly on columns, but your opinions and feature ideas shouldn’t be irrelevant at the end of the day’s news cycle.
Is my story suitable for CNN? At As Equals, we want to see the bigger picture. To uncover the systemic causes of gender inequality and tell those stories to a global audience. Can your story help you do that? Will your story resonate across local and national contexts?
As Equals aims to amplify underrepresented voices in front of the lens and behind the camera. We’re looking for short, character-driven documentaries and photo essays by and about women and non-binary people from around the world. We also want to hear from non-fiction filmmakers, video and photo journalists who want to tell universal stories that touch the emotions of audiences and hold a mirror to society.
If you have an idea you would like to pitch us, please consider the questions above and then send your suggestion to asequals@cnn.com.
Pre-production or early production stories are preferred, but you may also include links to previously filmed material.
These FAQs were last updated on June 11, 2024.
Continue reading the As Equals series
