Women's Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders Course
As part of its outstanding Women’s Leadership for Peace Programme, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is offering a five-day tailored training course for Emerging Women Leaders from around the globe.The course offers a unique opportunity for the participating women to revisit their approach to leadership within the wider peace and security field while also further building their career pathway and exchanging with senior women leaders within the Geneva Ecosystem, composed of UN and Humanitarian organizations.
The Women’s Leadership for Peace – Emerging Leaders Course has been designed for women with 7-15 years of professional experience, who are interested in furthering their leadership within the peace and security field. The participants will have had some experience in the management of projects and people, are looking to take on a more advanced role and are seeking to acquire new skills that will allow them to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Through experiential learning, participants will engage in exercises that support their professional and personal growth and have opportunities to apply learnings to self-identified leadership objectives. UNITAR employs various pedagogies to enhance learning and behavioural change and will aim to challenge participants in a safe environment where they can share lessons learned and strengthen their networks. To reflect the ever-changing nature of the challenges that women leaders face, UNITAR will draw on contemporary leadership and security challenges to ensure that the skills which participants develop reflect the adaptability and versatility which are needed to address the ever-evolving global dynamics and politics.
The Women’s Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders Course will be a safe space in which women can share their experiences with fellow participants and guest speakers to create a community of belonging that will extend beyond the course. Leveraging peer-to-peer learning and intergenerational dialogue, the programme will encourage knowledge sharing on best practices in peacebuilding, personal development, career development, wellbeing, and resilience. The expansion of a personal and professional network will provide participants with an invaluable resource that they can tap into for support in furthering their goals and potential as leaders and peacebuilders.
Through the overall objectives of the Emerging Leaders Course, participants will be able to:
- Reconnect with what it means to be a woman leader for peace.
- Acquire knowledge, mindset, and tools needed to successfully transition into a leadership role.
- Hone their own leadership style and situate their passions, strength and unique contributions in the broader peace and security field.
- Develop a personal action plan towards advancing individual leadership objectives.
- Demonstrate a unique insight into the broader sustaining peace ecosystem and what it takes to advance to leadership in this field.
- Build relationships with other participants and guest speakers, which will provide a network of support beyond the programme.
Track 1: Effective Leadership for Peace
Focused on inner development, this track will be a personal leadership journey, supporting participants in (re-) aligning their leadership style with their values and the unique contribution they would like to make in this world. Participants will also have an opportunity to revisit their strengths and areas of growth in relation to their leadership profile. Jointly with their peers, participants will furthermore challenge ideas of gendered leadership, examine structural barriers towards equal participation, and will define opportunities to advance women’s leadership within the peace and security field at a global level. As a takeaway from the course, participants will create a personal plan for achieving their leadership goals through concrete actions.
Track 2: Experience Sharing: Learning from Trailblazers
A key component of the course will be comprised of interactions with women leaders, including in senior leadership positions, who have built a career in the fields of peace and security as well as humanitarian action. This intergenerational aspect will be an opportunity for participants to exchange and discuss with fellow women, sharing their lived experience, challenges and success as they advance their own professional and personal goals. Through experience sharing with these women in leadership positions, participants will get inspired and gain insights on the possible next steps they can take in their career as well as the obstacles and opportunities they might come across while doing so.
Track 3: Refining career objectives and pathways
Through visits and exchanges with professionals, representing different organizations within International Geneva, participants will be better placed to situate and refine their career ambitions in the broader peace and security field while also gaining a deeper understanding of what is required for obtaining managerial and leadership positions within these contexts. Complemented by conversations with practitioners from the field, this will allow participants to better reevaluate and focus the next steps in their career in a way that this aligns with their strengths, ambitions and passion.
The target audience for this course is (self-identifying) women, who are established in a career linked to peace and security or are interested in transitioning into this field. It is suggested that participants should be emerging leaders or mid-level managers with 7-15 years of experience.
UNITAR will be responsible for the overall design, coordination and implementation of the Women's Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders Programme. It will liaise with participants on a regular basis prior to the activity's implementation in order to ensure a smooth and flawless organisation for everyone involved..
The participants are responsible for purchasing their own travel tickets to and from Geneva, booking accommodation, as well as applying for a visa to Switzerland (if required).
Women's Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders Programme FAQs
1. What is included in the cost of the programme?
- A world-class training programme led by experts from the world of peace and multilateralism, tailored to the specific needs and interests of the target audience
- Presentations from practitioners and thought leaders in the field of peace and security;
- Visit to selected international organizations in the wider field of peace and security in international Geneva;
- A personal leadership journal and tailored learning resources;
- Opportunities for intergenerational exchange with women trailblazers;
- Access to an international professional network of strong women working towards the common goal of greater women’s leadership;
- Guidance and advice from professionals on how to navigate taking the next steps in a career in the wider peace and security field;
- Lunch and coffee breaks on course days;
- A UN certification
2. How much time will be spent on each track of the Women's Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders Programme?
While the tracks of the Women's Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders Programme will overlap and build on one another, the approximate breakdown is as follows:
Track one: Effective Leadership for Peace – 50%
Track two: Experience Sharing: Learning from Trailblazers – 30%
Track Three: Refining Career Objectives and Pathways – 20%
3. How much professional experience should I have to apply to the programme?
The Women's Leadership for Peace Emerging Leaders Programm is designed for (self-identifying) women, who are established in a career linked to peace and security or are interested in working more in this field. It is suggested that participants should be emerging leaders or mid-level managers with 7-15 years of experience. If you are unsure about whether you fit the profile, do not hesitate to reach out before applying.
4. Where will I be staying during the programme?
Accommodations are not included in the cost of the course. Participants will be responsible for booking their own accommodation. Upon request, UNITAR will provide a list of suggested hotels and hostels for participants to reference.
5. Are there any scholarships available?
Unfortunately, at this moment UNITAR is unable to offer any scholarships for the programme. We hope to be able to provide them in the future. Should they become available, scholarship opportunities will be published on the event page.
6. If accepted, I will need a letter to support my visa application for Switzerland, will UNITAR provide one?
Yes, UNITAR will provide a visa support letter. Applicants are responsible for the visa application process. In exceptional cases UNITAR can support with the visa application process. This needs to be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
7. Will I get a certificate at the end of the course?
Yes, all participants who attend at least 80% of the course will receive a United Nations certification.