Launch of a 4-Nation Women's Virtual Newsroom

British journalist Lesley Abdela, Senior Partner in Eyecatcher Journalism, will be in Ghana September 17-19 as a member of a training team of international women journalists, arranged by BBC journalist Lesley Riddoch. Lesley Abdela has been in Ghana many times, principally at the invitation of women's campaign groups, training future women leaders, sponsored by the British Council.

The British journalist team will help launch a 'Virtual Newsroom', a pioneering project linking African women journalists and activists in four African countries (Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda).

The women journalists will work remotely for a year, using British Council offices and specially-adapted machinery/software donated by IBM.

This women journalism programme is being sponsored mostly by the British Council, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, and IBM.

The aim of virtual newsrooms is to increase the impact of journalists writing on issues of vital importance to Africa's women, acting as an effective vehicle for delivering information, opinion and views of Africa'swomen.