Young Women Leaders

"Young Women Leaders" is a project carried out by Leaders Organization and funded by Henirich Boll Foundation. The project aimed at building the capacity of a group of young female graduates and undergraduates, and help them master new skills to better challenge the reality and play a leading role in the community. The project allowed every participant to be engaged in a job shadowing experience where they were expected to accompany one of the women in leading positions in the political, social or economic fields for a period of two weeks. Such an experience was great value to the participants as they were allowed the opportunity to gain leadership techniques.

A number of sixteen female graduates and undergraduates from Palestinian universities participated in the program. Participants were chosen through a selective process, which included examination of their leadership capacities, analysis abilities and the skill to develop future plans, in addition to taking into account the amount of their engagement in voluntary and community work or societal activities.

Throughout the project, participants were provided with 50-hour training on leadership, decision making, art of negotiation, teamwork and motivation, followed by the job shadowing experience where each participant was required to choose the leading figure that she wished to accompany. Leaders Organization contacted and coordinated for the job shadowing partnership between the participants and the women in leading positions.

The project has achieved amazing success as five participants were recruited and one trained participant has established a women center dedicated to women issues in Northern West Bank following her participation in the project. Suzan Mir'i, a participant accompanying the Media Coordinator at the Palestinian Hydrology Group Ms. Suna Qa'ood for her job shadowing experience, has commented on the project by saying: "Young Women Leaders project has added to my knowledge significant concepts such as enhancing the concept of leadership, the means to build an idealistic young leadership through the ability to make decisions and influence others, communication skills, build good relationships with the participants of the project and finally it helped me become thinkers and thoughtful". In response, Suna Qa'ood expressed herself by saying: "I believe that the project is unique as it is of great support to the young females and is considered a good experience for them to face practical life and help in their decision making". Another participant, Nida' Abed, has also commented on her experience in the project by saying: "Palestine needs change, and change requires Leaders; Young Women Leader's project has helped me empower my personality and develop my skills and allowed me a great opportunity to alter my views towards life".

With the completion of the program, a booklet was published including a detailed description of the project and the comments of the participants' in the job shadowing experience, in which they reflected their youth visions perspectives of the leading role they have played. In addition, a graduation ceremony for the participants was held at the end of the program, honoring the women in leading positions.

We would also like to note that Leaders Organization has assisted in the development of leadership skills by granting the participants opportunities to participate in international conferences and programs in leadership.