AfYWL Opens Applications To Its 2nd Cohort Fellowship Program For African Women
Sep. 02, 2021
African women can now apply for the second cohort of the African Young Women Leaders (AfYWL) Fellowship Program.
The AfYWL Fellowship Program offers an interesting assignment with UNDP at its HQ in New York or one of its regional or country offices. The fellow may also be assigned to the UN Secretariat or the AU Commission.
For the second cohort (2021-2022), UNDP will work with the AUC and AU member states to enhance women’s leadership and representation in public and private institutions through targeted leadership training and capacity development to promote the participation of young women in decision-making roles.
The 12-month fellowship rests on three 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 exchange.
The fellowship is a partnership between the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Established under the framework of the AUC Chairperson’s 1 Million by 2021 Initiative, the fellowship aims to provide opportunities for African youth in the key areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship and engagement, and mainstream youth and women in key development spaces.
Eligibility and selection 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 Programme.
- 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 fields.
- Maximum one year (postmaster) 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 to identify key issues and solutions.
The program will cover expenses related to travel and medical insurance, and each fellow will receive a monthly stipend to cover accommodation and living costs at their respective duty station. An earmarked learning budget will be also allocated for undertaking relevant learning and development activities. Applicants should note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical travel will be dependent on the recommended guidelines of each recruiting office.
About UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme is the global development network of the United Nations. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations and advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life for themselves.
UNDP works to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through sustainable development. They aim to bring peace and prosperity to all through the Sustainable Development Goals.
End date: Sep 02, 2021
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