FHI 360 recognizes the importance of providing women and girls with the skills and confidence to become leaders in their schools and communities. In societies where girls are discouraged or forbidden from filling public roles, FHI 360 projects have challenged societal and cultural norms by providing leadership training to girls who have then pursued leadership opportunities and achieved remarkable success.
Our experts have linked women’s leadership with the promotion of girls’ education, including empowering mothers to become more engaged in school-level decision making. Our projects also increase women’s knowledge of their rights and encourage them to become formal role models to help girls succeed in school, the workforce and in life.
FHI 360’s Project AIDE in Senegal encourages women to take active roles and leadership positions in community groups such as parent associations. The project also provides vocational and professional training for out-of-school youth, 50 percent of whom are girls. The young women in the program can receive training in nontraditional lines of work, such as construction or taxi driving.
