We aim to shift power into the hands of those closest to and living the challenges that adolescent girls face.

The Emerging Leaders for Change Program is our newest initiative that builds on our 10-plus years partnering with young advocates and leaders. It is grounded in the belief that investing in Emerging Leaders, who are closest to their communities and the needs of adolescent girls, is critical to ensuring that solutions to the obstacles facing girls’ and women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are youth-centered and address the specific needs and nuances of their local contexts. This two-year leadership program supports passionate young activists with the resources, platforms, connections, and trainings necessary to amplify and achieve their advocacy goals.

Who Are Emerging Leaders?

Emerging Leaders are advocates for SRHR, age 15-29, who are at the beginning stages of their advocacy journey. The program creates a vast movement of Emerging Leaders, Young Leader Alumni, and youth advocates dedicated to advancing and sustaining the fight for bodily autonomy. Working at national, regional, and global levels, these youth leaders will hold their governments accountable for including comprehensive SRHR, particularly for adolescent girls, within universal health coverage frameworks. They will also ensure a gender-just approach in climate adaptation measures and work alongside partners to counter anti-rights actors in global spaces.

Emerging Leaders — too often ignored by decision-makers and power holders — have expertise and lived experiences that are vital to achieving bodily autonomy for adolescent girls. This program aims to bring forward their voices and solutions by building their profiles so that they are recognized as experts and leaders in SRHR and are able to access decision-making roles and spaces.

• Training, Mentorship, and Peer Learning: With the aim of equipping Emerging Leaders with essential advocacy skills and knowledge critical to excel at their role as advocates, the Emerging Leaders Program facilitates dynamic collaborative learning experiences. Based on customized, self-created learning journeys, Emerging Leaders will give and receive training, co-create and receive resources, benefit from relevant mentorship from Young Leader Alumni based in their region or country, and have access to peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing opportunities.
• Flexible Funding: Emerging Leaders will be provided with 18-month, flexible, trust-based grants ranging from $5,000 – $50,000USD to support their advocacy and to strengthen their organizations, along with technical assistance and context-specific resources.
• Convenings: Women Deliver is well known for its convening power, and this will extend to the Emerging Leaders Program. Each Emerging Leader will attend one fully-funded Opening Workshop and one fully-funded Closing Workshop, each designed to build relationships among Emerging Leaders and advance learning based on their customized learning goals. The workshops will be co-created and co-led by Emerging Leaders.
• A Supportive Ecosystem of Partners: The Emerging Leaders program increases Emerging Leaders’ access to and collaboration with national, regional, or global advocacy coalitions or networks and to provide feminist collective care, support, and solidarity.

• Political Engagement and Influencing in Regional and Global Advocacy Spaces: Identified by the Emerging Leaders as part of their advocacy planning, political engagement and influencing opportunities allow Emerging Leaders to engage directly with decision-makers and policymakers. These fully-funded opportunities could include joining a leadership or advisory body, speaking at relevant events and convenings, or participating in policy advocacy convenings and forums. Emerging Leaders will build their profile as experts and leaders with the support of Women Deliver, who will use its own relationships to give advocates the ability to access decision-making roles and spaces. Additionally, Women Deliver will leverage its own influence in global spaces to push for equitable and meaningful engagement of young people in global and regional decision-making spaces.
• Mental Health, Wellbeing, and Safeguarding at the Center: The work of advocates and activists never ends, and can come at a cost. Women Deliver will support the mental and emotional health of Emerging Leaders, ensuring that they are supported during every step of their journey.