On the onset, this was part of the main reasons the YWLI space was created- to equip young women with feminist leadership and personal empowerment skills. Young women have for a lont time been missing in the public arena and especially where leadership and other socio-economic process are concerned. The aim of this startegic area of focus is to equip young women with feminist leadership and personal empowerment skills. We work at promotion and strengthening the capacities of young women through skills building to participate  at different levels of policy process and engagement inin society.The promotion of young womens leadership is the main thread that runs through all of our engagements with young women. Two main thrusts of our work on leadership development are that, we focus on personal empowerment as an important componenet and link to other aspects of life for women and it provides feminist grounding for young women.  Among the projects we carry out are,

Annual Leadership Training Institutes

The YWLI Leadership Training Institute targets young women who are already leaders in different aspects. It is aimed at enhancing young women's capacity for transformative leadership. The training program aims at inculcating both a feminist and leadership culture in young women by overcoming stereotypes, lack of self-confidence and equipping them with skills necessary for asserting the personhood of women. The training seeks to draw a link between human rights consciousness and feminist leadership values.

The training framework focuses on Personal Empowerment, Organizational Development and Transfer of Skills and Knowledge also known as the POT framework. The POT framework is borrowed from the African Women Leadership Institute (AWLI), a program of Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA). The founders of YWLI were trained by AMwA using the same framework. This approach has enabled YWLI to examine the intersections of personal development, organizational cultures and transfer of skills within the broad and holistic leadership framework that integrates human rights understanding as an essential part of leadership. Understanding feminism and feminist analysis form an integral part of YWLI's leadership training.

Self Empowerment Sessions

This aims to build the self-esteem and assertiveness of young women and foster open discussions on 'sensitive issues' around sexuality  and reproductive health rights. The topics are facilitated by young women and mostly revolve around skills-building, life skills, and self development which are all essential in empowering young women. During the sessions, young women get an opportunity to be mentored by other young women and to learn through experience sharing. One of the major achievements of the self empowerment sessions has been the creation of a safe space for young women to interact and share their views on different concerns affecting them. These spaces have also successfully broken ground in providing young women with vital information which is regarded as 'highly sensitive and secretive'.

"Leadership is understanding people and involve them to help you do a job. That takes all of the good charecteristics like Integrity. dedication of pupose, selflessness, knowledge, skill implacability, as well as determination not to accept failure" - Admiral Arleigh A. burke.

Feminist Internship

Every year YWLI hosts two young women to undergo an active, structured and empowering internship that requires them to develop an initiative of their own to address issues affecting young women. The internship not only aims to helpthe young women further develop their skills but also gives them a sense of of ownership as they are able to develop ideas that they have a passion for into reality.   Overall, the YWLI internship is meant to ensure that both the organization and the individual get the best out of the process. The YWLI internship has two main thrusts:

• The acquisition of skills and experience in the field of women's rights and social justice
• The conceptualization and implementation of a project of one's own choice.

This is not just an internship; it is an opportunity for mentoring and coaching within the organization with the aim that it will have a ripple effect within the women's movement.