Following the achievement of the first WomenLeaders India Fellowship driven by Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices to support women leaders in the social sector in 2022–23, Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices have opened applications for the 2024–25 cohort on Monday.
The Reliance Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited. For the first time, women’s development became the focus of India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 instead of women-led development.
India’s persistent commitment to promoting “Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls” has earned the country the top spot in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.
In accordance with this aim, the WomenLeaders India Fellowship is going to assist talented women leaders—including social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs—develop their leadership skills.
The WomenLeaders India Fellowship is seeking genuine changemakers who are boosting livelihoods to promote economic self-sufficiency, improving access to sports, constructing climate resilience, and extending educational efforts.
According to a joint statement, the programme, which has been going on for over 10 months, intends to empower 50 exceptional Indian women leaders who are committed to bringing about revolutionary change in their communities.
The upcoming cohort will be chosen based on their creative efforts in Disaster Risk Reduction, Sports for Development, Education (through addressing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy or strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education), and Livelihood Generation at the Community Level.
Through the Fellowship, each Fellow will work on innovative concepts that are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), receiving peer and mentor assistance along the way.
The Fellowship will commence in September 2024, beginning and ending with in-person convenings in India. The initiative consists of a combination of virtual webinars and community meetings with top Indian and foreign experts centred on leadership and skill development in the ensuing months. Peer-to-peer interaction and individual mentorship to assist in their leadership development will also be provided to each chosen Fellow.
The ultimate goal of the Fellowship programme is to fortify the participants’ leadership and raise the efficacy of their endeavours and efforts. It focuses on developing leadership capacity and skill sets. The Fellows will have access to a thriving alumni community of the WomenLeaders India Fellowship as well.
Through the Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices network, this will provide opportunities for networking and awareness on a national and international scale.
The programme will come to an end with an in-person final event where Fellows will showcase their successful ideas that are in line with the SDGs. The top projects will be given a grant to assist them in growing further.
50 remarkable women from India’s social sector were chosen for the first Fellowship in December 2022. The first cohort of Fellows was chosen based on their contributions to the fields of education, rural transformation, livelihood growth, and sports for development.
As per the joint release, the applications are open from July 1, 2024, to July 28, 2024, 23:59 IST. (Apply now: https://reliancefoundation.org/womenleadersindiafellowship)
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