SI Leader Lab 2021 – a digital learning space for gender advocates around the world

Although international traveling is strictly limited, it doesn't stop 64 gender advocates from 16 countries to connect, learn and work together in SI Leader Lab.
Woman sitting in front of a computer in a online meeting.

SI Leader Lab is the Swedish Institute’s leadership programme for civil society leaders from South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, all devoted to work for a gender equal world.

This year’s Leader Lab, the third one, has recently started. From March to June the participants will meet regularly online to develop their leadership skills, explore new tools for effective advocacy and share experiences around common challenges. The training is founded on experience-based and collaborative learning and allows the participants to explore real challenges and areas of development that will benefit their local organisations.

Monalisa Padhee from Barefoot College International is one of the Indian participants of this year’s programme:

– I look forward to learning how to strengthen my advocacy efforts of bringing the voices of grassroots women to decision making platforms as well as shaping myself as a women health leader.

Another participant is Huda Taher from Yemen Family Care Association. She will attend the programme from Sana’a:

– Participating in the programme will give me the opportunity to share my own experience with experts who are working in the same domain and learn from their experience as well. This exchange of expertise will broaden my vision and boost my capacities.

SI Leader Lab is focused on digital training/learning and is since 2020 offered completely online. The result has so far been very positive. 90 percent of the participants think their participation in the programme increased their capacity to drive change for gender equality. Participants also stated that they now have a greater access to a professional and personal network for support and advise related to their work for gender equality.

SI Leader Lab alumni network already consists of 115 young influential leaders who are driving change in their local societies in fields such as gender-based violence, women’s economic empowerment, sexual and reproductive health rights and equal access to education.

More info about SI Leader Lab