Final Ceremony of the “She Leads” Academy and Community-Led Initiatives

Ramallah – The YWCA of Palestine concluded the Leadership Academy for Young Women program “She Leads”, and its community-led initiatives focusing on youth, peace, and security, which were implemented throughout 2024.

The event celebrated the graduation of the Academy’s second and third cohorts and highlighted the achievements of the Academy and the community initiatives program over the past three years.

The Academy aimed to empower young women to become active participants and contributors to Palestinian society by enhancing their knowledge and perspectives on contemporary political and social issues. These issues include political and community engagement, fostering their leadership to create positive change. The program also assessed the needs and challenges hindering the development and implementation of policies and programs related to young women’s leadership. It further strengthened their knowledge, skills, and connections to opportunities within governmental and non-governmental sectors through structured training sessions and dialogues with various institutions.

The Academy offered a range of activities, including capacity-building training, networking visits, experience-sharing sessions, expert-led lectures on leadership and innovation at local and international levels, development of community initiative ideas, exploratory study tours, and professional training opportunities.

The academy was developed as part of the program for youth political and civic participation in Palestine (Youth Leads), implemented by the UNFPA and funded by the European Union.

Under the same program, the YWCA of Palestine implemented several community-led initiatives addressing youth, peace, and security.

Aligned with the strategic vision for the youth sector and the framework of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace, and security, the Association worked to strengthen and build young community leaders. It supported them in developing their roles as active contributors to sustainable community development through planning, assessing, and executing local community initiatives. These efforts aimed to promote the values of peace, resilience, stability, and social cohesion.

Over the past three years, numerous initiatives were carried out in various fields, including women's and youth empowerment, child welfare, preservation of cultural and environmental heritage, tree planting, greening Palestine, recycling, and more.