KATHMANDU, April 4: Women LEAD Nepal is launching a new program titled “Young Women’s Political Leadership Institute” (YWPLI) with an objective of introducing young women to the power of political leadership and teaching them how political leadership can help create a change in the society. The program will recruit 20 fellows from in and around the Kathmandu Valley and train them free of cost.
The program starts with a week of skills-building workshops, where participants will gain foundational knowledge of Nepal’s democratic system and political processes. After the week of training, the fellows will get an opportunity to volunteer for approximately 50 hours with a female candidate of an emerging political party during the two-week campaign period, which will provide them with the opportunity to see the electoral process up close and play a direct role in boosting women’s political participation.
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At a time when Nepali people are uniting to successfully hold local-level elections that are taking place after almost two decades, this program is expected to take political involvement of women in Nepal, which is already much higher compared to other South Asian countries, to another level.
By the end of this program, the fellows will understand Nepal’s transition to a democratic state and how it got to the current political state. Moreover, the fellows will also get a deeper understanding of essential qualities of a good leader. The 50-hour volunteering will give fellows a chance to implement what they have learnt in the one-week training.
The program is open to young women who have completed their high school, are aged between 18 and 25 years, and who have interest in politics. Applications are open until April 14.
