Do you have what it takes to be a modern woman leader? The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is looking for 25 African women below 34 years old to join the African Young Women Leaders (AfYWL) Fellowship Program.
The African Young Women Leaders Fellowship Program is offering a fully-funded 12-month fellowship in New York or at one of UNDP’s regional or country offices.
In partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the UNDP, the program works to enhance women’s leadership and representation in public and private institutions.
This is done through targeted leadership training and capacity development to promote the participation of young women in decision-making roles.
Now working on finding applicants for its second cohort, the AfYWL Fellowship Program also presents interested African women with the chance to be assigned to the United Nations Secretariat or the AUC.
Application deadline: September 14, 2021
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Benefits of the African Young Women Leaders Fellowship Program
The African Young Women Leaders Fellowship Program shall cover expenses related to travel and medical insurance.
In addition, each fellow is entitled to a monthly stipend. This shall cover accommodation and living costs at their respective duty stations.
A learning budget is also set aside for undertaking relevant learning and development activities.
For fellowship assignments that require a participant’s relocation, physical travel will be dependent on the recommended guidelines of each recruiting office.
AfYWL Training and Learning
As part of the fully-funded fellowship’s assignment, the fellow will benefit from the following training and learning opportunities:
- Participation in a dedicated induction workshop in Addis Ababa (early 2022) hosted jointly by AUC and UNDP (all costs covered).
- Access to an earmarked learning budget for relevant learning/development activities.
- Participation in regular mentorship by senior UNDP staff.
- Participation in a transformative leadership development training program jointly developed by AUC and UNDP.
- Support from UNDP on other corporate learning and development activities.
- In addition, the Fellow will benefit from the relevant training and learning modalities/opportunities offered in the receiving office.
On the other hand, as part of the AfYWL Fellowship Program, the fellows will benefit from the following supervision modalities:
- Joint structured induction program hosted by UNDP and AUC.
- Structured guidance provided by the supervisor.
- Coaching and mentoring by experienced UNDP People Manager.
- Establishment of a work plan with clear key results and deliverables.
- Effective supervision through knowledge sharing and performance/development feedback throughout the assignment.
- Participation in Unit/Team/Office meetings to ensure integration and operational effectiveness.
- Guidance and career advice in relation to learning and career growth opportunities within the field of expertise.
Program Details
The fully-funded fellowship aims to provide opportunities for African women in the key areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship, and engagement, as well as mainstream youth and women in key development spaces.
Moreover, AfYWL is founded on the following pillars:
- Equipping outstanding young African women leaders with the leadership skills and experience required to advance the SDGs and Agenda 2063 and contribute effectively to decision-making in public, private, and multilateral institutions at home and abroad.
- Creating a diverse pool of talent to enhance UNDP’s organizational efficiency and contribute to more responsive and effective policies and programs.
- Developing a network of African young women professionals that engages in promoting innovative, sustainable and inclusive development through South-South development change.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be considered for the African Young Women Leaders Fellowship Program, one must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Female candidates only.
- National of an African Union member state. Priority will be given to nationals of AU member states that did not benefit from the first cohort of the Fellowship Program.
- Aged below 34 years at the date of application.
- Master’s degree or equivalent in Economics, Political Science, Business Administration, International Relations/Development, Law, Communications, Digitalization or other related development field.
- Maximum one year (post master) of relevant and paid working experience in research, analysis and program/project development, implementation and management.
- Available in late 2021/early 2022 to participate in an induction workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Available in 2021/22 to dedicate 12 months to a fellowship assignment.
- Willing to live and work outside their country of residence.
- Understanding of, and interest in, poverty eradication, sustainable structural transformation, the SDGs and Agenda 2063.
- Capacity to gather comprehensive information on complex problems or situations, and ability to evaluate and analyze information accurately in order to identify key issues and solutions.
How to Apply for the Fully-Funded Opportunity
Start your fellowship application process by applying online. For further information, please visit the official AfYWL Fellowship Program webpage.
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