The Centres of Excellence in Media Education Network arose from the Gender in Media Education (GIME) Audit in 2010. The audit measured if and how gender is mainstreamed in journalism and media education and training. The research highlights gaps and good practices in institutions of higher learning across Southern Africa. 

The COE approach builds on Gender Links’ experience working with local councils in 10 countries in the region. Gender Links collaborates with 100 local councils to integrate gender considerations into their operations and work. The local government COE is a sustained seven-stage process that combines policy development, implementation, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation.

Through the GIME COE model, Gender Links offers journalism and media institutions a wide range of modules to enable them to mainstream gender in their curriculum, as well as to conduct gender and media research. Following the 2015 Gender and Media Progress Study, which was coordinated by institutions of higher learning in the region, the GIME model provides an opportunity for participating institutions to disseminate results, share thoughts on methodologies and discuss their own research projects.