Deadline: October 13, 2017
Applications for the 2018 class of Women Deliver Young Leaders are now open. Women Deliver will be accepting 300 young advocates for the next class of Young Leaders. The Women Deliver Young Leaders Program is a two-year program that trains, elevates, and empowers youth advocates to catalyze action for gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women — with particular emphasis on sexual and reproductive health and rights and meaningful youth engagement.
The program provides youth advocates with the training and resources necessary to extend their influence and actively shape the programs and policies that affect their lives. Started in 2010, the award-winning Women Deliver Young Leaders Program is comprised of 400 youth advocates from more than 100 countries, with 300 more scheduled to join in early 2018.
Benefits
The Young Leaders Program provides youth advocates with opportunities to build and strengthen their advocacy capacity and skills, through:
- Global visibility as champions for the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women.
- Networking opportunities with high-level decision-makers, stakeholders, media, private sector representatives, and other change-makers, including other youth advocates and activists working around the world.
- Digital University: Structured course work led by a faculty of experts provides a solid foundation that enables each Young Leader to enact change and deliver for girls and women.
- Speakers Bureau:The Women Deliver Speakers Bureau identifies national and global speaking opportunities for Young Leaders while elevating them to positions of influence and power, including on panels, on commissions, and on boards.
- Seed Grants: Women Deliver provides seed grants to select Young Leaders to implement short term advocacy and communications projects that they create in order to advance the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women in their communities and across the globe.
- Women Deliver Global Conference: All Young Leaders receive a full scholarship to attend a Women Deliver Global Conference 2019 in Canada from June 2-6, 2019. Young Leaders attend at two-day Youth Pre-Conference, participate in sessions at the Youth Zone, and receive numerous media and speaking opportunities.
- Media Opportunities & Training: The program provides in-depth media messaging and engagement training, designed to provide Young Leaders with a strong foundation to work with the media as a successful advocacy tool.
- Direct In-Country Advocacy: In their respective countries, Women Deliver Young Leaders Young Leaders work on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the grassroots and national levels through partnerships with civil society organizations and other key stakeholders.
- Alumni Network & Mentorship Opportunities: Upon successful completion of the program, membership in the Women Deliver Young Leaders global alumni network for continued learning, networking, and support.
Responsibilities
Women Deliver Young Leaders commit to:
- Upholding the mission and vision of Women Deliver.
- Adhering to the Women Deliver Young Leaders Program shared principles and code of conduct; committing to representing the Women Deliver Young Leaders Program with dignity.
- Consistent bi-weekly communications with Women Deliver, providing regular updates on advocacy efforts through Women Deliver’s preferred channels in order to include updates on the Women Deliver Young Leaders Program Advocacy in Action timeline.
- Regular communication with fellow Women Deliver Young Leaders through email and social platforms.
- Active participation in Digital University courses, which require two-to-four hours a week over a period of nine months in 2018.
- Attendance and participation at the Women Deliver 2019 Conference and Young Leaders Pre-Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from June 2-6, 2019. Women Deliver Young Leaders will receive sponsorship to participate in the conference (further information about this will be shared with selected Young Leaders), but travel to the conference requires a valid passport.
- All costs and efforts related to acquiring, obtaining, and maintaining a valid passport is the responsibility of the Young Leader.
- Full participation in select sponsored Speakers Bureau activities (for example, national and global speaking opportunities and engagement on taskforces and commissions) that range from 1-10 days depending on the opportunity, in addition to time required for the Young Leader to acquire the appropriate and necessary travel documentation and visa as needed.
- Dedication to designing and implementing a small grant advocacy project (if selected to receive one of the limited six-month long small grants).
Eligibility
- Individuals between the ages of 15 and 28 can apply. Applicants must have been born between December 31, 1989 and December 31, 2002; this is to ensure Women Deliver Young Leaders are under the age of 30 for the duration of the program.
- All young people, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or national origin are encouraged and welcome to apply.
- Applicants must speak, write, and read English with proficiency
- Have regular access to the internet
Application
Complete the online application.
Applicants must also provide:
- Two reference letters
- A resume or CV
- Links to websites, videos, blogs, or other relevant items the applicant thinks would strengthen their application
- Confirmation of ability to attain a valid passport and visa to Canada to participate in the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, and complete international travel
The Women Deliver Youth Engagement Working Group works closely with Women Deliver in a transparent process to review, score, and select the 300 young people for the 2018 Class of Women Deliver Young Leaders. Individuals who are selected to join the Women Deliver Young Leaders Program will be notified in December 2017, and the program will officially start in January 2018.
For a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Women Deliver Young Leaders Program, click here.
For more information, visit Women Deliver Young Leaders Program.
