Introduction
Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), through its flagship Programme, the African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) will conduct a feminist and transformational leadership development fellowship. This fellowship is a multidisciplinary and all-encompassing analysis of society, community, geography, politics, and ecology/biodiversity. Through this fellowship, fellows will embark on a journey of understanding the processes that have shaped or produced particular outcomes in our society today in the context of the climate crisis, how the threads of power and systems of oppression intertwine and what new possibilities emerge when we unravel them. This fellowship will therefore be a catalyst for imagining and designing alternative futures that incorporate the histories, cultures, and perspectives of the African people.
The fellowship encompasses a mandatory five (5) day residential training and a one-year mentorship to which applicants should be fully committed. The residential training will be held from the 14th to 18th August 2023 in Zambia.
About the African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI)
In line with AMwA’s mission to “build feminist leadership and collective power to deconstruct intersectional systems of oppression to advance gender and social justice,” the AWLI, is a space and vehicle for feminist political education. Our leadership programme is the first step of, and an indispensable component of our feminist movement building toolkit, creating opportunities for awakening feminist consciousness and organising based on solidarity premised on shared values and issues. Through the AWLI, AMwA contributes to the growth and strengthening of the feminist movement in Africa by raising the political consciousness of change-makers including young feminists, gender justice advocates, women’s rights activists and civil and political leaders who are provided with the tools, networks and resources to disrupt the status quo in their spheres of influence. We see feminist leadership development as a continuous process of growth which requires nurturing through community support and modelling feminist leadership principles.
Mode of Delivery
This fellowship has been curated to nurture deep, collective inquiry and thought leadership around intersectional feminist climate action. We invite fellows to come into the space with a generous intellectual spirit and an open heart and mind. Throughout the programme, fellows will increase their participation and influence in decision making processes, and shaping public policy through training, mentorship and learning spaces. Guided by an amazing array of training faculty, we will collectively explore why the climate crisis is a feminist issue, the intersecting dimensions of the climate crisis and different forms of gender inequality, our legacies of liberatory action, and the wisdom that can help us find our way forward. Through this revolutionary action, participants can expect;
- An analysis of the social, political, economic, and climate crises we face today informed by an Afro-feminist lens.
- Facilitation grounded in the pedagogies of Global Southern movements that encompass a variety of learning methodologies like small group work, journaling, grounding movement, creative collaborative projects, and more.
- An opportunity to be in a conversation and learning community with feminist leaders joining us as faculty in the training.
- A space to build transnational relationships and community with like minded people who are committed to building a better world.
- An intentional and confidential space to unearth the personal assumptions, contradictions, and challenges that impact our everyday lives.
- An opportunity to develop an action plan on how intersectional feminist practices can be applied to your work.
Is this fellowship for you?
This fellowship is for radical dreamers and world-builders who acknowledge the complexities of our histories and presents, however, are critical of how we imagine and shape our society at present and in the years to come. This is a trans-disciplinary fellowship for anyone thinking critically and creatively about how to envision and materialise better futures through different means. Through this fellowship, we will collectively reflect on the processes that have shaped or produced particular outcomes in our society today. This is inclusive of unintentional ripple impacts caused by decisions or the lack thereof made on certain communities’ behalf. We will also collectively imagine and design alternative futures that incorporate the histories, cultures, and perspectives of the African people.
The fellowship will be awarded to 25 young African women and gender expansive persons who are involved in campaigns, policy analysis and advocacy, and movement building for climate justice. We particularly encourage applications from women from diverse backgrounds (in terms of ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, origin, etc.)
How to Apply:
We invite you to apply for the fellowship by completing this form. Applications close on Sunday, 2nd July, 2023.
For questions, please contact Najjuko Joanita at [email protected].
Applications will go through a critical review process and only successful applicants will be contacted.
