The Dominican feminist journalism platform Ciudadanía Fémina has launched the call for entries for the second edition of the Pía Rodríguez Journalism Award in Santo Domingo.
The national competition recognizes both published and unpublished journalistic works that highlight pioneer Dominican women or pioneering work accomplished by women across the Caribbean nation.
Organizers announced that submissions for the 2026 award will remain open until October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., with entries to be submitted by email to [email protected].
Broadcast Announcement
Elvira Margarita Lora Peña, president of Ciudadanía Fémina, made the official announcement during an interview on the television program Puntos de Vista, broadcast on the Dominican channel Color Visión.
Journalist Dania Goris, who is the daughter of Pía Rodríguez and the current producer of Puntos de Vista, conducted the interview on the show, which has aired for 57 years after being founded by Rodríguez.
Tribute to a Dominican Journalism Pioneer
The award honors the memory and legacy of Pía Rodríguez, one of the trailblazers of political journalism in the Dominican Republic, who passed away in 2014.
Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, the second-largest city in the country, Rodríguez became the first woman to host a political panel show on Dominican television despite not pursuing education beyond primary school.
A self-taught professional and avid reader, Rodríguez learned typing in a single night to secure her first job at the Venezuela Pavilion during the Fair of Peace in Santo Domingo.
Her talent was later recognized by journalist, lawyer, and historian Euclides Gutiérrez Félix, who invited her to join the newsroom at Radio Caribe.
During her career, the Organization of American States requested that Rodríguez broadcast the nation's transition toward full democracy to an international audience, cementing her role in Dominican political history.
Rodríguez's family continues her media legacy today through programs such as Puntos de Vista and Tele Opina on Dominican television.
In addition to the award, the City Council of Santiago de los Caballeros is processing a petition submitted by Ciudadanía Fémina and the Forum of Dominican Women Journalists to name a city street after Rodríguez.
Expanded Award Criteria and Deadlines
For its second edition, the competition introduces a broader scope by accepting both unpublished work and articles previously released in news media or digital platforms.
Submissions must center on the history of a pioneering woman or a groundbreaking effort by a Dominican woman, aiming to recover historical contributions left out of traditional narratives.
The full contest rules and guidelines have been published on the organization's official website at ciudadaniafemina.com.
The award presentation ceremony is scheduled to take place in November 2026, marking a key milestone in Rodríguez's career trajectory.
November holds special significance because it was during that month that Rodríguez transitioned from radio to television when she joined Color Visión alongside founder Don Popi Bermúdez.
Journalism Workshops for Participants
Ahead of the award ceremony, Ciudadanía Fémina will organize two educational workshops for participating journalists on September 12 and October 13, 2026.
The sessions aim to equip reporters with tools to develop news stories centered on women, addressing media studies that highlight the low representation of women as expert sources and primary voices in news coverage.
Lora Peña said the award extends beyond honoring individual achievements to serve as an active tool for increasing the presence of women across the media industry.
Lora Peña noted that women currently populate newsrooms and communication faculties at universities, adding that women must also reach leadership positions at the helm of media organizations.
She placed the initiative within a long tradition of women advancing Dominican journalism, linking it to the female educators who launched Fémina magazine in the 1920s, through the work of Pía Rodríguez, and continuing to contemporary women journalists working today.
