From Self to Society The Triumphs of Women’s Voice and Leadership

From Self to Society

The Triumphs of Women’s Voice and Leadership – Pakistan’s Gender Leadership Program

Women’s Voice and Leadership – Pakistan (WVL-P) project is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at amplifying the role of women in leadership and decision-making processes within Pakistan to promote women’s rights and gender equality. The Gender Leadership Program (GLP), a cornerstone of the WVL-P project, promotes the personal growth and empowerment of women leaders from women’s rights organizations (WROs) as an instrumental step in enabling gender-transformative changes in society. The program is best suited for WROs with limited resources for professional development.

WVL-Pakistan’s Gender Leadership Program, 2023. Photo: Oxfam

Women’s Voice and Leadership - Pakistan is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada

In GLP, self-exploration becomes your vehicle for personal growth. Before, I felt no more alive than a machine—mechanically navigating work, school runs, and meal preparations, devoid of self-reflection or personal insight. The GLP experience was a revelation, urging me to contemplate my needs and desires. I have learned to make myself happy.

— Shakira Gun of ABPA-W

GLP is a multifaceted, iterative approach that occurs over three, one-week intensive modules, bringing together women across several WROs for a collective experience. The program incorporates five elements:

SELF-ACTUALIZATION: Women are guided through introspective exercises to recognize and break down internalized gender biases and barriers that limit their ability to reach their full leadership potential.

MENTORSHIP: Participants are mentored by experienced women leaders who provide them with the guidance, support, and resources they require to flourish as leaders themselves.

SKILLS-BUILDING: Participants are equipped with valuable tools and competencies to support them in demonstrating further leadership in their personal lives and as advocates in their own communities.

NETWORKING: Women build relationships with one another, engage in knowledge exchange, and nurture a supportive community of peers for collective action.

STRATEGIC ADVOCACY: Participants are empowered to create their own Gender Learning projects to address legal, cultural, and socio-political barriers to gender justice within their organizations and communities.

EMPOWERING THROUGH LEADERSHIP: A GENDERTRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH

The GLP is a testament to how gender-transformative change starts with the self. The focus on self-exploration has been profound and far-reaching for participating women, helping them overcome internalized, negative beliefs about their capacities and place in society. The program is designed to consider the realities faced by women in Pakistan and meet women where they are on their leadership journey.

Personal testimonials underscored the significance of the GLP’s unique platform for connection and collaboration. For participants who are constantly navigating shrinking spaces for WROs and limited resources for movement building, GLP serves as a valuable resource for sharing experiences, learning new strategies, and forging partnerships that can amplify their impact. Participants, such as Farwa Kazmi of Aurat Foundation, found the vibrant sense of solidarity and mutual support in these networks empowering, enabling participants to collectively advocate for gendertransformative change. The one-on-one mentorship support system is pivotal in building the confidence of the participants through practical advice on navigating the challenges of leadership roles.

WVL-Pakistan’s Gender Leadership Program, 2023

Photo: Oxfam

As a whole, the program acted as a catalyst in unlocking women’s inner strength and courage to confidently advocate for their needs and desires at home, in ways they couldn’t have imagined before. This newfound empowerment extended to their workplaces as well, with many women initiating new campaigns, research and/or institutional changes in their organizations.

The GLP’s ultimate success hinged on its investments in women leaders’ individual empowerment as a building block in strengthening WROs and thereby advancing gender equality goals for the broader society. The WVL-P’s Chronicles of Change book and video showcase the GLP, the GLP alumni and celebrate their powerful stories of change.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

With the Gender Leadership Program, gender-transformative change starts with investing in women’s self-development with ripple effects on organizations and communities.

transforming organizations transformi ng the self

transforming communities

What are gender transformative approaches?

Gender-transformative approaches challenge the underlying root causes of gender inequality, including social norms and beliefs, law and policies, roles and relations, systems and structures (e.g. education, economy, health care) that disadvantage and harm women, girls, and gender non-conforming people. These harms can be compounded for those with intersecting identity factors (e.g. race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, religion).

Gender-transformative approaches promote women’s agency and leadership, educate community members, and advocate to decision makers to redistribute power, resources, and opportunities so that all people can reach their full potential.

WVL-Pakistan project team members. Photo: Oxfam

GLP participants critically review local media from a gender lens.

Photo: Oxfam

mentorship advocacy

networking

self actualization skills