On Feminist Leadership during a Pandemic

 

Leadership is never an easy task. Add the current pandemic situation and very easily feelings of being overwhelmed, and things spiraling out of control become unmanageable. As a woman in leadership position, and a self-proclaimed feminist, I have been reflecting on what ‘‘feminist leadership’’ can look like during these uncertain times and want to offer the following principles for both leadership and followership alike.

Self & Collective Care

Working remotely more often than not means you are clocking more than your 40 hours quite easily. Burn out is therefore more eminent amongst teams than before and women especially report feeling guilty about taking time off for themselves. We all know that if you are exhausted, your performance and productivity levels can be affected, so take time off if you need to. Practice your boundaries, log on and off work for the hours you need to, take lunch and health breaks, exercise and model this behavior for yourself and for others. If your company can afford it, consider taking collective time off work together or institutionalize game nights or other fun ways of meeting virtually as a team to collectively care for each other and yourselves. A great resource we are utilizing as a team at my workplace is the Shine App for our daily self-care and meditation.

Empathetic Leadership

The strongest way to build relationships is to be genuinely curious about the people you lead and work with. I call this seeing people! In these difficult times as a leader you must truly see people. Your colleague may be going through a loss in the family, a partner being laid off or uncertainty in their employment status. These circumstances will evoke emotional and mental responses and will ultimately affect how they show up to work. Empathetic leaders are trusted leaders.  

Heaven knows you cannot lead teams if people don’t trust you, and in any crisis trusted leaders are the best bet to keep the boat afloat! So, before you get started with that kickoff meeting, check in with how your colleagues and peers are doing. Truly be present, be flexible, listen and ask how you can be of support to those who need it. Encourage ‘‘camera-on’’ practices to help people feel more connected and get comfortable with holding space for yourself and others. Encourage 1-1 meetings with teams and consider peer support groups. At WIAN, we recently introduced a buddy system and we are excited to practice holding space for our colleagues in this way.

Transparency

As a rule of thumb, keep all teams informed and in the loop. In a crisis, any good leader will increase the cadence of team briefings to ensure anxiety levels are kept in check and that the teams’ trust in the leadership and in their employer is unwavering. This is not the time to make false promises, update on what you know and check in for team concerns which you should address when you have more clarity. Be believable, be credible, be trustworthy and be clear. A truly feminist leader will check in with both core and support teams. Many organizations have cultures that often leave interns, junior roles and support staff out of the conversation. This is not the time to keep updates classified, but rather lead with transparency, compassion, and humility.

We are living through unprecedented times. As a leader you may be called upon now more than ever to make hard decisions at this time. I leave you with Maya Angelou’s words ‘I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel’. I trust that you will be a feminist leader as you navigate this crisis.

 First Published by The Women in International Affairs Network- By Kate Kiama

Remarkable girls in Turkana and Kilifi Counties.

Approximately three years ago at Akili Dada we started the conversation of scaling our programs and being more intentional to serve the most underserved girls and young women in our communities. For the Young ChangeMakers Program, scaling our scholarship program meant venturing into new territories where few other scholarships funds were present and where the need was dire. After a year of extensive research, site visits, learning and unlearning what works for girls in these geographies we finally settled on two pilot schools: St. Daniel Comboni Secondary School and St. Thomas Girls Secondary School in Turkana and Kilifi counties respectively.  In 2019, we successfully awarded scholarships in both schools.

According to the Ministry of Health - Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Report, the net enrollment rate of children in primary school in Turkana County is 59%. Only 12% of girls in this region transition to secondary school. Many girls in the region are at risk of dropping out of school due to poverty, harmful cultural practices such as FGM and early and forced child marriage. In Kilifi, on the other hand, only a quarter, (26%) of children in the official secondary school-age are enrolled in secondary school. The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2014 shows that 1 in every 4 girls aged 15-19 years in Kilifi has delivered a child. Alarming high rates of teenage pregnancy, low illiteracy, poverty and poor parenting plague the region.

Yet with these shocking statistics, barriers and huge impediments there are always outliers. In our humbling and fulfilling experience programming in both these regions we have met them! Not one girl but many of them! We have seen firsthand perspective how girls with a will and an opportunity can soar. For instance, we have met the fantastic four; Dzidia, Susan, Swabra and Safina from St. Thomas Girls who invented an IED Detector for the Kenya Defense Force as part of their science project! We have met the pioneer KCSE candidates from St. Daniel Comboni who despite lack of proper infrastructure in their school were able to send a dozen girls to public university later this year. We have met girls who are hungry to learn, who want a seat at the front row of their class and who want the same for their sisters, cousins and neighbors! We have met girls who are challenging lack of implementation of the back to school policy and who refuse to accept that they cannot be a teenage mother and a student at the same time. We have met girls who have spoken up and who have convinced their parents and guardians that education is truly their key and their right to life. We have met girls who are hopeful for the future and who want to change the narrative for girls in Turkana and Kilifi. We are excited to be part of their journey and can’t wait to see how their stories unfold….

First Published By Akili Dada on 24^th March 2020

UNFPA Young Innovators Fellowship Programme

Background Information

UNFPA delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s goal is to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health, realize reproductive rights, and reduce maternal mortality to accelerate progress on the ICPD agenda, to improve the lives of adolescents and youth, and women, enabled by population dynamics, human rights, and gender equality. 

UNFPA recognizes the untapped potential of young people around the world. We want to channel your energy and creativity to develop solutions in Headquarters which we can use in our Country and Regional Offices.  Our goal is to provide you with the essential tools, skillsets and international experience that will empower you to realize your career goals. We are looking for you to provide us with insights and ideas that will enable us to be more aligned with youth problems in your community.

Organizational Setting

UNFPA is seeking two of the brightest and most ambitious youth globally to be a part our new Young Innovators Fellowship Programme. This opportunity-of-a-lifetime programme covers expenses related to travel, stipend, accommodation and health insurance.

This exciting development opportunity will see two fellows join us at UNFPA Headquarters in New York for a period of one year (July 2016-June 2017). The fellows will undergo leadership training for a period of three months (July-September 2016), before they are placed in a management operations role for a period of nine months, continuing their fellowship in various Headquarters work units such as: Human Resources, Finance, Management Information Systems, Communications, or External Affairs.

In addition to experience working with UNFPA, all successful applicants will be provided with the following by UNFPA:

·         Cost of return economy-class travel from country of origin

·         Financial and administrative assistance with travel documents and visa requirements

·         Health insurance

·         Housing arrangements (fully paid for accommodation)

·         Monthly stipend (for meals and other basic needs)

·         A workstation with computer and internet access

·         Opportunities to be mentored by UNFPA staff and external mentors

·         Administrative assistance as required via our Service Centre

·         Qualifications and Experience

Eligibility Criteria

·         Demonstrated interest and dedication to development issues established through either volunteer experience, work experience,  affiliations with a youth network or NGO, in areas of UNFPA’s mandate (see http://www.unfpa.org/about-us)

·         Basic understanding of issues of importance to UNFPA and what the organization stands for

·         Working knowledge of English (mandatory: written and oral)

·         Commitment to return to home country to promote International Conference of Population and Development mandate. For details regarding ICPD see  http://www.unfpa.org/icpd

·         Aged between 18 years to 25 years old as of 29th  February 2016

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity and human rights, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life.  UNFPA therefore encourages women, young people living with disabilities or HIV / AIDS, refugees, stateless or internally displaced persons and indigenous young people to apply.

Languages:

Fluency in English.  Depending on the duty station, another UN language such as French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian may be required.

Sudanese and South Sudanese Youth Leaders Program

The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) launched its Sudanese & South Sudanese Youth Leaders program in 2013. The program brings Sudanese and South Sudanese peace builders between ages 18 and 35 to Washington, DC to be in residence at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) for four months. The goal of the project is to support youth to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to further their peace building work and position themselves as stronger peace building agents in their communities. USIP will bring one Sudanese and one South Sudanese leader in the spring of 2016 and another two leaders in the fall of 2016.

Previous youth leaders have done projects related to religious peace building, the role of women in conflict and peace, and analyses of the roots of local conflict. Youth leaders spend the majority of their fellowships doing individual research, attending meetings with USIP staff, and participating in events in the D.C. area.

The application for the 2016 youth leaders program is now open. Please read the application instructions before starting your application.

USIP will consider both internet-based and Word-based application submissions, but prefers internet-based applications when possible. The internet-based version of the application can be found here and the Word version of the application can be accessed here. Please only submit one application.

For program and eligibility requirements, please refer to the application instructions.

Application and Program Timeline

December 4, 2015 - Application opens
January 1, 2016 - Application deadline; no submissions will be accepted after 12:00 noon EST
January 15, 2016 - Semi-finalists notified via email by 17:00 (5:00pm) EST
January 18 - 25, 2016 - Semi-finalists interviewed by phone
January 29, 2016 - Finalists notified
April 1, 2016 - Spring cohort of youth leaders arrive in Washington, D.C.
July 1, 2016 - Fall cohort of youth leaders arrive in Washington, D.C.
August 8, 2016 - Spring cohort of youth leaders return home
November 10, 2016 - Fall cohort of youth leaders return home

Meet the Most Recent Youth Leaders

Silvio William Deng, South Sudan
Project: Root Causes of Ethnic Conflict in Upper Nile State

Ikhlas Mohammed, Sudan
Project: Women’s Role in Conflict Resolution in Darfur

Arif Omer, Sudan
Project: The Peace Lens Project (Media and Conflict in Sudan)

Othow Okoti Onger, South Sudan
Project: The Role of the Church in Peace building in Jonglei State

Commonwealth Youth Awards Nominations 2016

Do you know a young person making a positive difference in your community or country?

Nominations are open for the 2016 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work. These awards recognise inspiring young people whose development work has had a significant impact on people and communities in their country or region.

We are looking for young people aged 15 to 29 years, whose development work demonstrates the Commonwealth’s Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment, to:

·         Promote youth participation in decision making

·         Promote economic empowerment of young people

·         Take action for equality between young women and young men

·         Promote peaceful and democratic environment in which human rights flourish

·         Provide quality education for all

·         Improve access to information and communication technology

·         Promote health, development and values through sport and culture

·         Engage young people to protect the environment.

Criteria for nomination

Individuals are able to nominate themselves or can be nominated by someone who is able to vouch for the legitimacy of the nominee’s development work. The nominee must meet the following criteria:

·         The nominee must have been engaged in their development work for more than 12 months either in a professional or voluntary capacity

·         The nominee must be from a Commonwealth member country

·         The development work must be ongoing and in a Commonwealth member country

·         The nominee should not be older than 29 on 31 December 2016

·         Nominees should give permission for their names to be put forward (if nominated by someone else).

·         Award winners and finalists must agree to take part in publicity and activities generated by the Commonwealth.

·         The development work can be within any number of areas, including agriculture, skills training, arts and culture, environment protection, education, health and well-being, human rights, information and communications technology, journalism and many more areas including sport, science and sustainability.

Nomination Process

Applications open 6 July 2015 and close 31 August 2015. Complete the online nomination form to submit a nomination.

You will be required to provide:

·         Details about yourself

·         Details about the person you are nominating (if nominating someone)

·         The reasons you think the nominee (or you, if you are nominating yourself) deserves to win

·         A description of the development work and how it makes a positive difference to the lives of others.

Awards will be decided on the basis of:

·         Quality of impact

·         Level of innovation/fresh approaches to problem-solving

·         Quality of achievement

·         Quality of the evidence provided

·         Sustainability: building capacity of future generations to meet their own needs.
Nominations can only be received via the online form or by email. If you are having problems with the online form, you may cut and paste the information into a word document and send as an attachment to youth@commonwealth.int

Advisory Application-FRIDA

FRIDA is recruiting passionate and committed young feminist activists from Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Asia and the Pacific to join its Global Advisory Committee!

Since its founding, FRIDA has relied on a Global Committee of Advisors made up of mostly young feminist activists from all over the world. These Advisors play a key role in the following areas:

§  Facilitating FRIDA’s annual participatory grant making process by screening applications, reviewing final results, and supporting due diligence.

§  Supporting grantee partners’ capacity development and communication with FRIDA and conducting outreach.

§  Informing strategy and programmatic decisions in various areas of FRIDA’s work through thematic working groups such as Communications, Resource Mobilization, Capacity Development, and Grant making.

§  Informing FRIDA’s strategic direction every 5 years.

Given the increase in grant applications we receive each year and the need to expand our presence and work in more places, we are currently recruiting Advisors from each of the following regions:

§  Middle East and North Africa

§  Asia and the Pacific

§  Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Must haves for eligible candidates

§  At least 5-10 hours a month available to dedicate to FRIDA

§  Three or more years demonstrated commitment to advancing women’s rights, equality and non-discrimination and feminist movement building;

§  Three or more years demonstrated thematic or regional expertise with young women’s organizations/initiatives working for women’s rights, including time in a leadership role at a local, national, regional or global level;

§  Functional spoken and written English language skills, with Arabic, French, Russian, Mandarin, and Hindi extremely desired

§  Skills in such areas as project management, workshop facilitation, capacity-building, movement building and/or monitoring and evaluation;

Candidates also must have at least two years’ experience in at least ONE of the following areas:

§  Fundraising experience, such as applying for or receiving monetary grants from a donor or organizing fundraising activities with individuals (i.e. events or online crowd funding)

§  Grant-making, international development, or funding institution (experience grant-making or monitoring, evaluation, and learning for young women’s groups and/or start-up, small or community-based groups highly desirable)

§  Communications experience, managing websites, communication campaigns, writing blogs and op-eds,

§  Private sector especially in the areas of law, finance, accounting and/ or corporate social responsibility. Candidates must have an educational background that aligns with their current role in the private sector

Applicants aged under 35 years old are strongly encouraged to apply. 

How to Apply

1. Download and complete the New Advisors Application 2015 ENG. 

2. Send completed applications and your CV/resume to recruitment@youngfeministfund.org as soon as possible and before 10 June 2015. Please put “Advisory Committee” in the Subject Line.

Apply to join as Directors at Green the Gene's Global Board.

Just wanted to share an excellent opportunity for talented and enthusiastic young people (under the age of 24) to lead environmental action as Directors at Green the Gene's​ Global Board. 

Green the Gene is an international completely youth-run, non-profit environmental organisation, founded in 2004 by a small group of passionate, determined, and concerned youth. Today, with 18-year-old Founder & President Madhav Datt, Green the Gene is successfully building a global grassroots movement for positive environmental action through over 4500 children and youth volunteers from schools and universities across 42 countries, making it one of the largest completely youth run environmental non-profit organizations. (www.greenthegene.org)

This is a chance to gain international exposure and experience running a non-profit, while leading on-ground initiatives and mass-mobilizations, representing the organization at global summits and conferences, and participating in youth advocacy and lobbying efforts.

Apply to join as Directors at Green the Gene's Global Board at http://bit.ly/gtg_board.

Deadline: 25th April, 2015

For more information or questions about the roles, available positions etc. visit  bit.ly/gtg_board or www.greenthegene.org. Share this opportunity with widely.

www.greenthegene.org

Hurford Youth Fellows Program

Call for Applications: Hurford Youth Fellows Program

Building Young Activists’ Leadership Skills 

The World Youth Movement for Democracy and the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) invite you to apply for the Hurford Youth Fellows Program in Washington, DC. Youth leaders from around the world will be considered for two positions throughout the year. For a period of four months, each fellow will have the opportunity to build his or her leadership and organizational skills and benefit from and contribute to the development of the World Youth Movement.

Central to each fellowship will be an assignment to develop online discussion platforms that would generate active engagement of World Youth Movement members.  Each fellow will organize and lead a series of online discussions and information sharing on a key democracy issue that the fellow, in consultation with the Secretariat and Leadership Board, would identify. Youth Movement Fellows will identify, compile, present, and creatively share discussion materials and results.

Youth leaders up to the age of 30 with a demonstrated interest in the advancement of democracy are welcome to apply; particularly those affiliated with democracy/civil society organizations are especially encouraged. A monthly cost of living stipend and roundtrip airfare will be provided by the Program.

Application deadline: April 27, 2015

Information and Application Guidelines Booklet ::PDF
Application Form ::DOC

The Hurford Youth Fellows Program is made possible by the generous support of the Hurford Foundation.

For more details, please visit the World Youth Movement for Democracy's website :: VISIT

Apply online here!

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS – 2015 MILEAD FELLOWSHIP

Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa (Moremi Initiative) hereby announces its annual call for applications for the 2015 MILEAD [Moremi Initiative Leadership Empowerment and Development] Fellows Program- to identify 25 of Africa’s most outstanding emerging women leaders.  

The MILEAD Fellows Program is a long-term leadership development program designed to identify, develop and promote emerging young African Women leaders to attain and thrive in leadership in their community and Africa as a whole.The program targets dynamic young women interested in developing transformational leadership skills that help them address issues facing women and girls across communities in Africa. The MILEAD Program equips Fellows with the world class knowledge, skills, values and networks they need to succeed as 21st century women leaders. Applications are invited from young African women between 19 – 25 years of age, living in Africa and the Diaspora.

The MILEAD Fellowship will be awarded to 25 outstanding young women who have exhibited leadership potential in their community, organization, and/or profession. To be eligible for the program, an applicant must be African, living on the continent or in the Diaspora; agree to participate in all required activities related to MILEAD – beginning with a three-week residential Summer Institute in Ghana; and commit to a community change project. Specific requirements of the program and related dates are outlined in the application package. Please review program and application guidelines carefully, before completing your application.

Please note that this one year program is not a full-time fellowship. Selected candidates may remain full time students or work full time for the program duration, except during the 3–week summer institute. The 3-week summer institute is an intensive and full-time residential program and all fellows will be required to attend. The rest of the program involves community-based, online and other distance activities.

We invite you to share this application information with emerging African women leaders in your network who have the passion and potential to help transform the continent.

How to Apply: Applications are available online at www.moremiinitiative.org or by request via email. Download the full 2015 Application Package and Forms below.

Download the 2015 MILEAD Application Package & Form

Completed application forms must be submitted along with a CV and two recommendation letters. All applications and supporting documents must be submitted by email.

The deadline for completed MILEAD Fellows applications is Friday 20^th March, 2015.

For more information, visit: www.moremiinitiative.org or Join us www.facebook.com/MoremiAfrica or contact the MILEAD Program Coordinator:

USA: Email: info@moremiinitiative.org OR maame@moremiinitiative.org

Tel: +1 510 648 1021 | +1 917.327.5235