Rise Up Leadership Program to advance Gender Equity and Justice in India

Deadline: 31-Dec-23

Global nonprofit Rise Up is seeking applications to select a group of local civil society leaders from Jharkhand, India to participate in the Leadership Accelerator training program to advance gender equity and justice in 2024.

Through Rise Up’s program, these local leaders will advance transformational change in their organizations and communities, and champion improved national and local laws, programs, and funding for women, girls, and gender-nonconforming people.

Each Rise Up cohort typically consists of between 20-25 participants selected through an intensive application review and interview process. Participants are proven leaders who represent the geography’s demographic, economic, ethnic, and institutional diversity. They seek leaders from a wide range of professions, interests, viewpoints, and experiences.

With support from Cummins Inc., Rise Up will select, train, and invest in 25 local civil society leaders to strengthen education, health, and economic opportunity for girls and women in Jharkhand.

Rise Up’s new program in Jharkhand builds on the success of their work in Maharashtra, Delhi, and Rajasthan, where they have partnered with more than 108 local leaders who have successfully advocated for improved policies and laws impacting the lives of 3.3 million people. The newly selected leaders in Jharkhand will become part of Rise Up’s global network of leaders in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States who are creating a future where all people can thrive. Rise Up builds power with women, girls, and their allies by providing training, funding, and connection to a global network to help them achieve meaningful, lasting change. Since 2009, Rise Up’s powerful network of 800 leaders has successfully advocated for over 185 new and improved laws and policies, positively impacting more than 160 million people around the world.

Strategies

• Rise Up partners with women, girls, and allies to expand their impact by providing the training, funding, and resources they need to achieve large-scale change at local and national levels. Rise Up Leaders go on to train fellow community members and apply their new knowledge to launch their own strategies to advance gender equity and justice and improve the lives of women, girls, and all people in their communities.
  • Strengthen Leaders: Rise Up will select a cohort of leaders from organizations, universities, or groups throughout the state of Jharkhand to participate in a week-long Leadership Accelerator training. During this intensive training, participants learn how to strengthen the following skills: leadership, team building, resilience, goal-setting, strategic planning, messaging, proposal and budget development, political mapping, policy change, and more to improve the lives of women, girls, and gender non-conforming people in their communities by expanding access to education, health, and economic opportunity.
  • Invest in Local Solutions: Following the Leadership Accelerator, Rise Up Leaders can apply for competitive grant funding to launch their strategies to advance gender equity in education, health, and economic opportunity.
  • Build Movements with Women, Girls, and Allies: Rise Up helps leaders foster relationships with peers, funders, decision makers, and partner organizations. Expanding their networks with partners and funders is essential for Rise Up Leaders’ ability to grow and create change – and is integral for the movement they are building together. Rise Up also provides access to speaking opportunities, conferences, and ongoing coaching to amplify leaders’ voices.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:
  • You must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Local resident of and/or currently working/volunteering in Jharkhand, India.
  • Have a personal interest and a commitment to advocate for advancing gender equity, education, health and economic opportunity for women and girls and strengthen girls’ leadership in Jharkhand.
  • Have a minimum 3-5 years of demonstrated experience, or the equivalent, in at least one of the following thematic areas: Gender equity in girls’ education, girls’ and women’s health, safe migration, economic opportunity for women and girls, public policy or advocacy, engaging men and boys in advancing gender equity, community mobilization, and development.
  • Represent or work closely with tribal groups, women and girls with disabilities, or any other disadvantaged population.
  • Ability to participate in a hybrid model of workshop, which will be a combination of six-to-eight virtual sessions and six days of in-person residential workshop between March and May 2024.
  • Rise Up will cover all costs related to program participation, including travel, accommodation, materials, and internet costs.
  • Proficient in oral and written Hindi and working knowledge of English.
  • Be part of a civil society organization, institution or network that is based in the region.
  • Have the support of the leadership of your organization, institution, or group to participate in the Leadership Accelerator and implement innovative advocacy project ideas.
  • To be eligible for a grant in association with this project, Rise Up requires organizations to be legally registered in country and be legally compliant to FCRA to receive international funds. Entities that are not registered can be sponsored by a legally registered entity.

For more information, visit Rise Up.