Kathmandu, July 15, 2017: Women LEAD Nepal, an organization working to provide young women in Nepal with the skills and opportunities to become leaders, has called for applications for its year-long LEAD Course for female or female-identifying students entering class 12.
The course provides an intensive experience based on practical, hands-on learning and personal growth of the participants, and helps explore their own identities as leaders and changemakers.
“Women LEAD believe that Nepal will not be able to truly develop and overcome persisting gender inequality until women and girls begin co-creating their own country’s future. Nepal needs to hear the visions for a better tomorrow that its young women hold. The first step is identifying these young visionaries who have the courage to act, speak out and challenge the status quo, and then equipping them with the skills, support, and experiences they need to succeed- and that’s exactly what the LEAD Course does,” shares Suju Poon, Program Officer at Women LEAD Nepal.
‘Women LEAD’, in its seventh year of operation, has witnessed its young graduates take leadership roles in their schools and workplaces and initiate their own projects and startups. After the LEAD Course, participants join a community of over 200 alumni. Alumni are facilitated with opportunities like internships, training, and assisting with applications for university, scholarships, and conferences. Alumni also get full access to the Women LEAD’s resources, library, and office space in support of any projects they launch.
“We also encourage our alumni to remain actively engaged in programs by mentoring younger LEADers, interning at Women LEAD Nepal, and even joining our Board of Directors. For instance, Rajina Shrestha, a 2010 LEADer from our pilot program, not only serves on our board as Vice President but has started her own organization, ‘Women Leaders In Technology’. She also heads Hollaback! Kathmandu using technology to combat street harassment,” adds Poon.
Last year, the LEAD Course revamped its advocacy activities and this year it will have a much stronger focus on self-reflection. The responses from LEAD Course graduates, who consider Women LEAD their second home, have been overwhelmingly positive. Anukriti Kunwar, an effervescent graduate of 2016 LEAD Course currently interning at Women LEAD, blissfully recalls, “LEAD Course 2016 was a growing experience for me. From managing course books and all the workshop’s handouts and the wonderful interactions with the guest speakers, it has been a wonderful journey. I’ve found my mentors, my role models and my inspirations from this very place and would highly encourage girls to be a part of this course.”
Selected participants will contribute 300+ hours over ten months in the course. Applicants can expect to step out of their comfort zone and become role models for other students.
Are you interested?
To apply, submit an online form at bit.ly/WLEAD17 or facebook.com/womenLEAD by 11:59pm on Saturday, July 29th.
(The photograph above shows LEADers from last year’s course. Courtesy: Women LEAD Nepal)
