A new program launched today in East Africa marks a significant opportunity for advocates championing the bodily autonomy of adolescent girls.
Women Deliver – a global leader in advancing gender equality and the bodily autonomy of girls and women – is launching the inaugural cohort of its new Emerging Leaders for Change program in the region. Applications for the 2024 East Africa Emerging Leaders Cohort open on 15 April, 2024 and close on 30 May, 2024.
The program welcomes individuals aged 15-29 from Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, of all genders, with a strong emphasis on those identifying as women/girls or LGBTQIA+. Applicants’ advocacy should focus on SRHR in local communities, particularly around Women Deliver’s three priority areas: universal health coverage, the climate crisis, countering anti-rights movements.
The program is a two-year initiative providing young advocates with funding, resources, trainings, and access to decision-makers, aimed at amplifying their youth-centered advocacy efforts in national, regional, and global spaces to advance adolescent girls’ bodily autonomy. Women Deliver will launch the program in other regions annually on a rolling basis, adopting a focused, regionally- and thematically-bound structure.
“Women Deliver recognizes that adolescence is a pivotal stage, one where girls often begin to face shrinking opportunities that continue into adulthood. Through our Emerging Leaders for Change Program, we are committed to changing the life trajectories of adolescent girls by supporting advocates who can provide youth-centric solutions in sexual and reproductive health and rights,” says Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Chair of Women Deliver’s Board and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women.
“East Africa was selected as the inaugural region for this initiative due to its significant youth population and urgent needs. Leveraging a supportive environment for gender equality advocates and established regional partnerships, our mission is to ensure every self-identifying girl and women has full control over her body and life.”