Reliance Foundation & Vital Voices Launches WomenLead India Fellowship to Support Female Leaders

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 27 August 2022

The WomenLead India Fellowship, which was established by the Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices Global Partnership, intends to serve as a system of support for Indian women leaders who are tackling the most difficult problems in the world. WomenLead India is a 10-month fellowship programme that just began. The deadline for applications is October 3.

The fellowship seeks to develop the leadership skills of female social change agents in any of the aforementioned fields:

Rural transformation: Creating all-encompassing, long-lasting answers to the major development issues that rural communities face, including economic empowerment, food and water security, ecology, the ability of local organisations to exercise good governance, and the empowerment of women.

Education: Reducing disparities in the availability of early childhood care and education, primary, secondary, and higher education across income, gender, social group, and geography; enhancing the standard of educational services provided at all levels; and creating or bolstering educational institutions.

Sports for development: Encouraging lifelong learning among young people in India by using sports as a vehicle for doing so and by increasing access to sports in underserved and rural areas.

Arts, culture, and heritage: Maintaining and promoting India's artistic, cultural, and historical heritage; developing domestic and international understanding of Indian arts, culture, and heritage; and keeping and making art and culture relevant to the next generation.

Women who are driven by a clear sense of mission and committed to advancing the status of women and girls, women who are committed to transparency and good governance, and women who have at least three years of work experience enacting social change in their communities in one or more of the sectors mentioned above.

The fellowship will offer 50 female leaders who are chosen to be a part of the first cohort individualised leadership capacity building and skills development. Peer-to-peer interaction and mentorship support will also be advantageous to the chosen fellows.

“We believe in the collective and creative power of women to empower not just themselves, but also their families and communities. When women lean on women and rise together, they build a network and system of leadership that can help transform the world around them. It is our mission to drive and support this leadership amongst women. The WomenLead India Fellowship powered by Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices is an important step in nurturing inspirational women leaders who will be at the forefront of driving social change in India,” said Nita M Ambani, Founder Chairperson, Reliance Foundation.

“Every problem solver needs a support network and we aim to be that for these women leaders by making a long-term investment in both the woman and the important work that she is doing to advance and empower the people of India and beyond,” said Alyse Nelson, Co-Founder, President, & CEO, Vital Voices. “We are thrilled to partner with Reliance Foundation to make this investment in India’s next generation of women leaders,” she added.

Depending on their existing expertise, the WomenLead India fellows will be mentored in one of the following tracks: economic empowerment and entrepreneurs, social sector leaders, or changemakers. The fellowships' engagement with the broad network of female leaders and global influencers who make up the Vital Voices and Reliance Foundation networks will only begin after the completion of the 10-month, fully funded programme.