The Reliance Foundation has launched a Fellowship to drive social and economic progress with special focus on education, livelihood and climate.
ABOUT RELIANCE FOUNDATION
Reliance Foundation is an Indian non-profit organisation which was founded in 2010 by Mukesh Ambani. It is wholly owned by Reliance Industries Limited and is one of the largest non-profit foundations in the country.
FELLOWSHIP
Women’s leadership in India is pivotal to drive social and economic progress. From grassroots to governance, women are catalysts for change. Embracing their leadership fosters inclusivity, equity, and sustainability, crucial for India’s prosperity. India’s G20 presidency marked a significant shift in the global conversation on gender equality placing a strong emphasis on “women-led development” rather than just “women’s development”, prioritizing areas like digital access and entrepreneurship to empower women as agents of global progress.
In line with this vision, the WomenLeaders India Fellowship powered by Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices invests in extraordinary social sector women leaders and social entrepreneurs to drive an ambitious, urgent agenda for women’s leadership in India. Launched in 2022, the Fellowship aims to empower women leaders in the social sector with the knowledge, skills, and network necessary to spearhead transformational changes in society. Through leadership development workshops, mentorship opportunities, and industry exposure, the programme helps social sector leaders and social entrepeneurs to refine their vision, build their capacity and accelerate their impact.
Overview of the Fellowship
Applications are now open for the next WomenLeaders India Fellowship. Selected Fellows will start the programme in September 2024. Over ten months, the Fellowship aims to empower 50 exceptional women leaders from across India, each dedicated to driving transformative change within their communities. The cohort of social sector women leaders and social entrepreneurs will be selected basis their groundbreaking work in one of the following areas: Climate Resilience (including Disaster Risk Reduction), Sports for Development, Education (by strengthening early childhood care and education or addressing foundational literacy and numeracy), or Livelihood Generation at the grassroots.Through the programme, Fellows will also be expected to work on their own innovative project aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , for which they will also benefit from mentor and peer support.
CONCLUSION
The Fellowship utilizes a participant-centred approach, adapting and innovating the programme curriculum to address the needs of each cohort, focusing on knowledge and skills to achieve their goals and drive forward their community impact. The programme will include a blend of virtual webinars and community gatherings focused on leadership and skills development with leading Indian and international experts. The training is designed to ultimately strengthen the leadership of the WomenLeaders India Fellows and increase the success of their ventures and efforts.The programme will commence and culminate with in-person gatherings. In the final gathering, Fellows will present their impactful projects aligned with the SDGs and selected winning projects will receive a grant award to help scale their project further.
