World YWCA’s Guide
for Young Women’s
Transformative Leadership

Transformative leadership in its most simple form is the interplay between
knowledge, skills and feminist values, resulting in positive changes inindividuals and in social systems, thereby shifting power structures.

About World YWCA
We are a global women’s rights organisation engaging millions of women, young women, and girls around theworld each year, across cultures and beliefs, to transform lives and the world for the better. With a presencein over a hundred countries, our work is grassroots driven, grounded in local communities and rooted in thetransformational power of women.
We provide support and opportunities for women, young women, and girls to become leaders and change-makers
who not only protect their rights and impact their communities but inspire their peers to do the same. We arefocused on building a strong, intergenerational network of women and young women leaders, with programmes
led by and for women and young women in response to the unique needs they see in their communities.

This publication may be redistributed non-commercially in any media, unchanged and in whole, with credit
given to World YWCA.
A product of World YWCA 2022.
First edition printed in July 2022.

TABLE OF CONTENTSSECTION 1: GETTING STARTED  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 6HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  8
How should I walk through this Guide?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  8
Accessibility  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  9
Signposting  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9Formatting  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
Translation .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
Expected outcomes  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
BACKGROUND .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
Why did we update the Rise Up! Guide? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
What was the process for updating this Guide?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
Who is this Guide for? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected young women? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 15
Why is it important to create safe spaces?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 16

SECTION 2: LEADERSHIP + LEARNING  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
A. TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  20
YWCA’s approach to young women’s transformative leadership  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  20
What makes this leadership transformative?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
B. HUMAN RIGHTS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 26
What are human rights?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 26
Who is responsible for upholding human rights?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 27
What does the United Nations have to do with human rights?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 28
Who are “rights holders”? And who are “duty bearers”? .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 28
Why is awareness-raising about human rights important for (and to) girls and young women?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 30
What is a human rights based approach (HRBA)?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32How can a HRBA support activism?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 32
So, what does all of this mean for girls, young women and women?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .33Protecting women’s human rights defenders .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  34
C. FEMINIST VALUES + PRINCIPLES .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 36
Equity + Equality  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 36
Intersectional + Intergenerational  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 36
Diversity + Inclusivity  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 38

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D. SKILLS-BUILDING .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .391. Creating safe spaces .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .392. Staying safe online .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  45
3. Understanding and finding reliable evidence and research  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 47
4. Advocating and influencing policy change  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 48
5. Networking and managing partnerships  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  54
6. Advocacy strategy, communications and monitoring .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 55
7. Mobilizing resources and fundraising .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .588. Prioritising and celebrating diversity  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 59
9. Navigating leadership challenges  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .62E. YOUNG WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS: UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  64
1. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 65
2. Economic Empowerment .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .673. Peace and Justice  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 68
4. Climate Emergency  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  70
5. Mental Health .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 72
6. Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
7. Faith + Feminism .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .73

SECTION 3: FACILITATOR’S TOOLBOX  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .76GETTING STARTED  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 78
A. PREPARING FOR A TRAINING  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .791. Contextualising this Guide  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 79
2. Defining your audience  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  80
3. Logistical considerations .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 81
4. Engaging your participants .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 81
5. Making the agenda  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 82
B. FACILITATION TIPS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .85C. ICEBREAKERS + ENERGIZERS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  86
D. SUPPLIES + MATERIALS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .87E. ADDITIONAL REFERENCE DOCUMENTS + TEMPLATES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  88
Attendance sheet .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  88
Consent form .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 88
Logistics note .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 88

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F. EVALUATING YOUR TRAINING + STAYING CONNECTED .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  89
G. WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIES + PRINTOUTS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 91

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 103

ANNEXES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 104
ANNEX 1: KEY WORDS + PHRASES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 104
ANNEX 2: ABBREVIATIONS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 120
ANNEX 3: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES / FURTHER READING  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 120
ANNEX 4: RISE UP! GUIDE UPDATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 132

5

SECTION 1:
GETTING STARTED

6

Hey leader,
Welcome to World YWCA’s Rise Up! Guide for Young
Women’s Transformative Leadership. We’re happy
you’re here, and excited to be on this journey with you.
At World YWCA, we know that investment indeveloping the leadership of women, young womenand girls, results in the transformation of the individual
and then entire communities — and the world — for the
better. As a global movement that engages with andmobilises them all, the World YWCA is committed toprogressive, community-based leadership, particularly
through programming that is led by and for women,
young women and girls. When women, young womenand girls rise to become leaders and change-makers,
they become an influential force and champion socialchange far beyond immediate surroundings.
The World YWCA’s leadership work and approach
are feminist and progressive; community-based andintergenerational; focused on the most marginalised
and under-represented; and accountable to be
responsive to the needs and priorities of women,
young women and girls in all their diversities.
While leadership work in YWCA is as old as the
YWCA itself, the Rise Up! Young Women’s Leadership
Program was created in 2010 by young women1 fromthe Asia-Pacific region for young women with theintention to contribute to their empowerment, so thatthey rise up and discover their leadership potential.
When we say “transformative leadership,” we mean
leadership that brings together knowledge, skills, andfeminist values, all of which are aligned towards thelarger good of communities.
This Guide builds upon the existing knowledge,
creativity, and capacity of YWCA young women to
become leaders for positive social, economic andenvironmental change. It celebrates the processes bywhich young women explore their strengths, educate
themselves, identify as decision makers, and have1.

7Young women at the YWCA Solomon Islands with support from theFiji Women’s Rights Movement.

the confidence, knowledge, information, skills, andsupport to understand and manage power imbalances,challenge injustices, hold powerful people to accountand make positive change in their lives. It also
embraces the core values of Rise Up! to strengthen
its participatory peer-to-peer approach to training
and mentoring. It acknowledges that young women’s
leadership actively aims to disrupt patriarchal
structures and helps in building a powerful, supportive
network of young women leaders of present andfuture by decolonising leadership.

LEARN MORE

We’ll learn more about the concepts of
patriarchal structures and decolonisation in
Section 2!

Through this Guide, we hope to build a beautiful
activist tapestry together, starting with the different
threads that come together to make unique fabrics(that’s you!) and weaving in all of the key elementsof transformative and feminist leadership. We seek tobuild out from individual to movement, just as eachindividual thread matters to the cloth.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEThis Guide is designed to be user-friendly and easy
to adapt to different contexts and audiences. The
idea behind the adaptability is that you will be able
to co-create elements of the content with aspects ofyour reality and with members of your peer groupand community in order to better fit the needs
and focus of YOUR specific context. While there
are specific mentions of the RiseUp! program inthis Guide, it seeks to be accessible, relevant anduseful for girls and young women across a broad
age range around the world regardless of theiraffiliation with World YWCA. The Guide speaks toanyone and everyone who is keen on exploring thistransformative leadership model in order to build afoundation; it’s also meant to be relevant and usefulfor young women and girls specifically, but also men
and boys and across all gender affiliations and forpeople in all their diversities.
When we say “you”, we are referring to whoever youare; as a member of a volunteer group, a non-profit
organisation, a student research group, a corporation
or a community leader. Additionally, it is designed
to be useful for organisations who are interested
in supporting girls and young women in theirleadership journey. This Guide attempts to imagine
the full diversity of “you” with the hopes that you see
yourself in the whole document and choose aspects
that really resonate with you.

HOW SHOULD I WALKTHROUGH THIS GUIDE?
This Guide is divided into three sections that will help
you prepare for and facilitate your training, keeping in
mind the interests and needs of your audience, as wellas their context.

8

SECTION 1: Getting started
This section includes everything you need to know
to prepare your mind and your heart for unlearning,learning, and re-learning the art of becoming atransformative leader. The goal of this section is toequip you to arrive at Section 2 with the right “lens”
on, acknowledging that you are likely looking at thismanual from a few different vantage points at any
given moment: as a learner and as a facilitator. Thissection includes the introduction, how to use thisGuide, and background information to help orient you
to make the most of this journey.

SECTION 2: Learning + LeadershipThis section invites you to engage with the key concepts
around transformative leadership, practical skills to
support leadership journey, human rights, and issue
areas that young women have identified as priorities.
The goal of this section is to prepare you with theknowledge and skills you’ll need as a transformative
leader. It is meant for you to go through and choose
what resonates with you and your community, andwill give you opportunities to make sure you are
comfortable with these key concepts. Note the topics
in this section are not exhaustive, but rather they aredesigned to introduce and provide foundational andpractical information to enhance and grow leadershipwith the hopes that you will learn more based on yourinterests and priorities. Rise Up! encourages continued
learning and exploration of these (and any) topics,
and the goal of this section is to provide information
to support you to do so.

SECTION 3: Facilitator’s Toolbox
This section equips you to take everything you learnedin Section 2 and turn it into a training that fits you andyour peers. This will include:• Information about preparing for a training,
including:• contextualizing this guide• defining your audience• logistical considerations• engaging your participants• making the agenda• Facilitation Tips
• Icebreakers + Energizers• Supplies + Materials• Additional Reference Documents• Evaluating the Training + Staying Connected• Worksheets, Activities + Printouts

to pick and choose which sections you need for yourcontext and the context of the young women you’re
working with in your community / region. You are notrequired to complete the entire Guide, but it is highly
recommended. We reference conducting workshops
or trainings throughout the document, but pleasefeel free to choose to focus only on Section 1 and2 based on your time, knowledge, interest, context,
and plans to lead a training. Section 3 is to support
you as you plan for, design, implement, and evaluate
a training.

ACCESSIBILITY

At the end of the document, there is a robust Annex
that includes the following:••••

Glossary + key terms
Abbreviations
Additional resources + further reading
Information about the process of updating this
Guide

Each section is built as an add-on to the section before.
By the time you get to Section 3, you will have theknowledge you need as a leader yourself to explore
your journey and / or to plan a training for girls andyoung women in your community.
The first two sections invite you to walk through the
Guide as a “learner,” and are designed to support
your leadership journey regardless of if you’replanning to become a facilitator / create space fora training / support others along their leadership
journey. The Guide is adaptable, which allows you

This RiseUp! Guide is intended to be friendly forpeople of all abilities and identities. It is designedwith inclusion in mind. As a living document, if you
notice any gaps or issues with the content, we invite
you to share feedback and insights. We believe in the
power of co-creation and partnerships to strengthen
how the leadership training process is conducted.
Together, we can make this leadership building
process more inclusive based on the unique realitiesof people of all abilities. Please reach out if you havefeedback or wish to partner. Contact World YWCA
at: getinvolved@worldywca.org

SIGNPOSTING
As you go through the document, you may notice thefollowing design elements:

KEY TERM: Anytime you see a term for the first time,
it will be highlighted in pink and a definition will be
provided in the glossary section of the Annex or definedin a sticky note format.

Section 2 is shaped around the three “threads” oftransformative leadership:

THE FIRST STRAND IS KNOWLEDGE

FACILITATOR’S LENS

Anytime you see a red box, you are invited tothink of yourself as a facilitator in that momentand put on your “facilitator’s lenses.” Like apair of glasses! We are assuming you are going
through the Guide to learn about all of thevarious aspects of transformative leadership
before you set up a training yourself. You may
choose to take notes in the back of this Guide
as you go through Section 2, as it may help
you prepare for your training by the time you
get to Section 3. This is just for your additional
knowledge-building.

LEARN MORE

When you see a green box, we provide
additional information and/or send you toanother place in the document (likely an Annex)
to offer more resources if you want to learn more.

REMINDERS

Any text in a blue box is a reminder to you, bothas a “learner” / participant and as a facilitator.

SELF CARE / MENTAL HEALTH CHECKWhen you see a yellow box, we invite you
to check in with yourself, especially after
any heavy content. How are you feeling inyour body? Are you reacting strongly to thecontent? Would you benefit from taking sometime to reflect, get support, or talk aboutsome aspect of what you’re learning withsomeone? The yellow box is a chance to catchyour breath.

FORMATTING
As you move through the document, there will bedifferent pieces of information showing up in thesevarious formats:

10

It’s possible to become a technical expert but still
not be a transformative leader. Understanding key
concepts and issues, such as human rights, mental
health, climate change, etc. will help to shape yourworldview as a transformative leader and showcase
how so many of the issues that girls and women faceare interconnected.

THE SECOND STRAND IS SKILLS
Similarly, it’s possible to be an expert practitioner but
not be a transformative leader. These skills will support
you to put into practice the knowledge you’ve gained,
and have an impact in your community and beyond.

THE THIRD STRAND IS FEMINIST VALUESThis is where you take the knowledge you’ve gained
and skills you’ve learned and apply it with equity,intersectionality, and safety. The approach you take tosharing your skills and knowledge with your community
and the world is what makes it truly transformative,
and a feminist value system will support you to do that.
Section 3 is full of tools and templates, some ofwhich you may choose to print. You will likely
have to download separate pages of this PDF, andthere is a chance your typed information may notprint fully in each section. Unfortunately, this is alimitation of the digital file which we are unable tocontrol. We recommend testing one page first andthen printing many pages. We invite you to use thetools and templates as inspiration and make any
adjustments needed!

TRANSLATIONAs you go through this Guide and make plans to use itin your unique spaces, what are some of the things you
might want to keep in mind to make it most relevant
for your context?

1.

2.

3.

Having this content in your local language is one ofseveral key steps you can take to ensure that thematerials are available to girls and young women inyour community. It is critical to make sure that theoriginal content remains intact as you go througha translation process. Additionally, it is importantto remember to use gender sensitive terms in every
language and ensure that copyright stays with WorldYWCA. We recognize that some of the content
included in this toolkit is highly sensitive or may illegal
in your country. We recommend that you blank out orcross over the sections with black before you send it to
get printed or translated. For support with translation:
getinvolved@worldywca.org

EXPECTED OUTCOMES
While this Guide is a roadmap for you — a learner anda facilitator — to learn from and to use and adapt toyour local context and work with groups of women,
young women and girls, and wider communities, theoutcome is really dependent on you. What do you wantto get out of it? By the end of this training, you (andyoung women just like you who may be in a training
with / facilitated by you) will:

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Develop a deeper understanding of humanrights, the human rights based approach, andits importance to you in general but also in yourtransformative leadership journey.
Learn to identify challenges and opportunities
to continue to build and strengthen yourtransformative leadership journey.
Build a deeper understanding of your priority
issues affecting women, young women, and girls
around the world, through exposure to resourcesand opportunities to explore the specific needsof your community.
Develop a diversity of skills to advocate for yourpriority issues, based on your interest and theneeds in your communities.
Possess skills to enhance your sense of selfesteem and confidence.
Develop the ability to influence policy andadvocate for your rights and the rights of others
in your communities.
Be able to build, facilitate and practice safe spaces
and further strengthen your role in supporting
learning, sharing and mobilising as a network.
Build increased connection with and support
from peers.

BACKGROUND
WHY DID WE UPDATE THE
RISE UP! GUIDE?
In an ever changing world, it is important that the tools
and resources designed to support and strengthen thetransformative leadership journey of young womenare adaptable, scalable and relevant to their realities,
contexts and needs.
The previous curriculum was published in 2017. Since
then, the world experienced a global pandemic thathas had a disproportionate impact on the lives ofthe most marginalised populations, including young
women. COVID-19 did not only affect our ways working,interacting and collaborating, but it also shed light on thefragility of progress made and the persisting gaps in theissues that young women care about, such as violenceagainst women and girls, sexual and reproductive healthand rights, climate justice and gender equality.
It also changed the ways in which advocacy andcapacity development are done, moving even moreof the work online. Virtual engagements enabled adiversity of advocates to participate in spaces andconversations that were not accessible in the past.
However, this increased the need to create safe digitalspaces and new tools to sustain this engagement
online and offline, in order to ensure digital spaces are
made into an empowering tool.
COVID-19 reinforced the role young people andtransformative leadership play in solving complex
problems in communities through innovation andwith resources in hand. An estimated 1.2 billion
young people have been impacted by the COVID-19
pandemic response measures.2 Yet, young people
around the world stood at the forefront of the responseto the negative impacts of COVID-19 as to build backbetter from the pandemic, ensuring that young people
2. Big 6 Youth Organisations. “Young People Championing PostPandemic Futures”. December 2020 globalyouthmobilization.org/
wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Final-Young-People-ChampioningPost-Pandemic-Futures.pdf
12

are at the heart of all decision-making processes now
and in a post-COVID world. Sustained investment is
key,3 with particular focus on local solutions, adaptive
programming, flexible digital and holistic approaches,
mentoring and peer-to-peer support.4
Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, the WorldYWCA had committed to develop the leadership andcollective power of women, young women and girls
around the world as reflected in GOAL 2035:

By 2035, 100 million young women and girls
transform power structures to create justice,gender equality and a world without violence
and war, leading a sustainable Y WCA
movement , inclusive of all.

We believe there is value in revisiting tools based on
the needs of the young women so that they continue
to be effective and responsive to their new realities.
Our efforts to revise and update this Guide areintegrated into the feminist consultation methods toensure co-creation at every level. Equally important
was ensuring that the language and terminologies
included in this tool are friendly and inclusive of all
identities and abilities. We avoid the use of jargon
and concepts that are too technical; we encourage
the reader to prioritise and celebrate diversity andinclusion; we acknowledge the issues that affectgender non-conforming people, and include a section
on intersectionality as a key principle and tool touse, adapt and contextualize this Guide. As a living
document, if you notice any gaps, we welcome yourfeedback and insights at: getinvolved@worldywca.org
3. The Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) is a movement of young people
taking action to improve their lives and their communities now
and in a post-COVID-19 world. Powered by the Big Six – the world’s
largest global youth organisations – and supported by the World
Health Organization and the United Nations Foundation, GYM aims
to harness this momentum to address the negative impacts of thepandemic on young people and support them to build back better.
Learn more about GYM globalyouthmobilization.org/about
4. The Global Youth Mobilization (GYM). Interim Report, February 2022
globalyouthmobilization.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GlobalYouth-Mobilization-Interim-Impact-Report-February-2022.pdf

13

WHAT WAS THE PROCESSFOR UPDATING THIS GUIDE?
In 2021, the World YWCA engaged the TorchlightCollective to undertake the exciting task of updating
the Rise Up! Guide for Young Women’s Transformative
Leadership.
To achieve this, the consulting team embarked on ajourney (Diagram 1) to produce this new Guide where
women, young women and girls were central in every
step of the process.
The starting point was the review of different
resources available — including the previous versionof the Rise Up! Guide — to better understand YWCA’s
approach and guiding principles to leadership. Then,through a feminist consultative process, the teamdeep dived on the meaning of leadership, successstories and barriers to young women’s leadership to
upgrade this Guide, which includes the key issues
as identified by the young women who participatedduring the consultation. This renewed and improved
version of the Rise Up! Guide is the result of thisco-creation process and collaborative journey, whichholds inclusion, diversity and feminist principles andpractices at its very core.

LEARN MORE

In ANNEX 4 you will find further information
about each stage of the process as itcorresponds with the World YWCA Feminist
Consultation Methodology.

WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?
This Guide is for anyone and everyone interested ininvesting in the power of young women. This includes
individual young women who want to expand theirtransformative leadership skills, particularly those doing
work in their communities, who are most marginalised,disadvantaged and often under-represented; young
women and women who are training and building acohort of young women leaders, as well as organisations
working with young women and girls in support of theirtransformative leadership journey.

Diagram 1. Update of the Rise Up! Guide for Young Women’s Transformative Leadership
Phase 1

Phase 3Phase 4Feminist
Consultation

Upgrading of
the Guide

Alignment andValidation

Review of the previous Rise
Up! Guide for Young Women’s
Transformative Leadership.

Using the World YWCA Feminist
Consultation Methodology, theconsulting team deep dived on
the participants’ experience withleadership training; the meaningof leadership and the role ofyoung women leaders; barriers toand success stories.

Enhanced content and structureof the curriculum according to
the issues and challenges raised
during the consultation phase.

In collaboration with the YWCA
team, the updated manual was
finalized to make sure that its
content speaks to the diversity ofyoung women leaders that will beusing this manual.

Review of additional documents
of YWCA’s approach to leadershipand guiding principles.

14

Phase 2Document
Review

HOW HAS THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC AFFECTEDYOUNG WOMEN?
COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on young
people around the world. School closures affected an
estimate of 87% of the global student population,5
while youth unemployment and job insecurity
increased. Lockdowns led to isolation, affecting themental health of young people and putting themat higher risk of experiencing gender-based andinterpersonal violence, as well as cyberbullying as
they spent more time online.6
The pandemic worsened existing inequalities. Young
women and girls, especially those living in poverty
and marginalised contexts or rural and isolated
communities, were more likely to be pulled out ofschool to compensate for increased care and domestic
work at home,7 as well as the economic burdens on theirfamilies due to the loss of jobs and reduced incomes.8
Remote learning highlighted the digital divide or thebarriers that women, young women and girls face toaccess to digital technology and adequate internet
connectivity. Adding to an already challenging context
that undermines their right to access quality education.
Young women and girls have less autonomy anddecision-making power than boys and young men;during times of economic uncertainty, they are lesslikely to have their own needs met.9 Research by UN
Women indicates that gender-based violence against
women, young women and girls has increased since
the pandemic started, revealing connections between
violence, food insecurity and mental health.10 In some
5. UNESCO. Education: From disruption to recovery. en.unesco.org/
covid19/educationresponse
6. Big 6 Youth Organisations. op.cit., p. 2.
7.

UN Women. How COVID-19 Impacts Women and Girls. Available atinteractive.unwomen.org/multimedia/explainer/covid19/en/index.
html

8. Plan International (2021). HALTING LIVES 2 In their Own Voice: Girlsand Young Women on the Impact of COVID-19. Available at planinternational.org/publications/halting-lives-2
9.

15

Big 6 Youth Organisations. op.cit., p. 6.

10. UN Women (2021). Measuring the Shadow Pandemic: Violence
Against Women During COVID-19. Available at data.unwomen.org/
publications/vaw-rga

Empowering young people to break
menstrual taboos amid the COVID-19
crisis – Nepal
Young leader Roni Shakya trained young
women and girls in Nepal to provide safe
spaces for young people to discuss the impactof the COVID-19 pandemic on menstrual
health. In partnership with local government,
the team has also offered young people
in need homemade sanitary pads, handsanitisers, face masks and soap to promotehealth and COVID-19 safety practices.
Global Youth Mobilization“Powering change: young people leading
the COVID-19 response and recovery
Interim Report” (February 2022)
globalyouthmobilization.org/wp-content/
uploads/2022/03/Global-Youth-MobilizationInterim-Impact-Report-February-2022.pdf

countries, it has been identified that household foodinsecurity puts women, young women and girls at
higher risk of experiencing gender-based violence andlabour exploitation.
Young women have been disproportionately affectedby the pandemic. In spite of this, young women havenot been included in the design and implementationof the response strategies to COVID-19. Yet, young
women have shown strong leadership in support ofcommunities especially in front line responses in thecritical sectors of health and education which aremajority women- and young women-led sectors.
Investing in the transformative leadership of young
women and girls, especially those from marginalised,
underserved and under-represented communities
is fundamental to ensuring that young women
are included in decision-making at all levels, andmeaningfully engaged in the implementation ofstrategies, policies and programs to respond to thisand other social, economic and ecological crises. By
resourcing young women’s rights organisations andmovements, we contribute to the shifting of power

over to communities, drive equity and justice andbuild safe and resilient spaces where women, young
women and girls can thrive and fully exercise rights.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO
CREATE SAFE SPACES?
Being ‘safe’ means to enjoy your rights, free fromdiscrimination. Creating a Safe Space is about
curating a space for discussions, either physically or
virtually, where everyone is able to fully participate,share experiences and challenges, access information,
develop more awareness and build their capacities.
Creating a safe space opens up opportunities foryoung women and girls to find friends, build networks
and work together.
YWCA has a history of providing and creating safe
spaces for women, young women and girls. It is thefoundational concept for the movement’s creation in1855 and since then World YWCA has outlined eightdefining elements and standards of best practices forcreating safe spaces. These standards are informedby history, experience, shifting technologies as well as
the various social, economic and political contexts ofyoung women around the world. These standards arecustomisable, and can be adapted and contextualised
to the different needs of different communities.
The ten defining elements of a safe space and bestpractices standards within World YWCA are:Accessibility
2. Safety and privacy
3. Leadership and participation
4. Accurate and reliable Information
5. Trust and community
6. Inclusivity
7. Holistic Approaches
8. Intergenerational cooperation
9. Dignity and respect
10. Partnership and accountability
1.

16

You can read more about how to create safe spaces in
the Skill Building section, or refer to the YWCA Safe
Spaces Guide and the YWCA Virtual Safe Spaces.

SECTION 2:
LEADERSHIP +LEARNING

17

It’s likely that you’re reading this Guide because you
believe that a better world is possible, especially for
women, young women and girls. You can see continued
injustice happening around you, some of which has
gotten even worse in the last few years — violence,
inequity, poverty, climate degradation — and you
experience it happening to you, in your community,
in your country, in your region, and around the world,
and want to do something about it. Across the globe,
many — like you — are standing up courageously,
voicing “Enough injustice”, yet simply “enough” is notenough. In these challenging times, each and every
person has a role to play in turning collective efforts
into action. And it takes the leadership of young people— especially young women — to guide the way.
Women, young women, girls, and nonbinary people
have faced systemic oppression for centuries. And
too often, other forms of discrimination — racism,ableism, classism, and more — compound genderinequality. We see the impact across all issue areas,from education to disaster relief and from health toclimate change.11 However, it is the very leadership

11. www.bridgespan.org/bridgespan/Images/articles/philanthropyand-feminist-movements/full-report-philanthropy-and-feministmovements.pdf

from those who are most affected by inequality,
injustice, and oppression that has brought about themost transformational change.
But who is a leader? What does it take to be a leader?
We are all leaders in various ways, and this Guide isbuilt to support you in your journey of becoming atransformative leader. By exploring transformative
leadership, you’ll be able to determine what impact you
can have in support of equity, how you can contributeto global anti-racism,12 anti-oppression movements,13
and decolonising efforts, and what this will mean forgirls, young women and women everywhere.
This section is meant to equip you and other young
women you are working with, with the knowledge,
skills, resources, and feminist value system you’ll
need along your leadership journey. In the following
sections, there will be a chance to build key skills you
can add to your toolbox to create meaningful change
and explore key issues about which you are concernedor passionate. But first, let’s build a foundation.

12. simmons.libguides.com/anti-oppression/anti-racism
13. simmons.libguides.com/anti-oppression/welcome

Illustrations by @lunchbreath, based on Shel Silverstein’s Giving Tree for John Maeda’s 2019 Design in Tech Report.

Taking a human rights based approach to an issue
you care about provides one of many channels tobring justice, and we’ll explore that together here. You
don’t have to become a human rights lawyer to makea change! Having a basic understanding of humanrights will help you in your activism, advocacy, andefforts to seek justice.

LEARN MORE: Decolonizing leadership

What does it mean to “decolonise” leadership?
Check out this podcast to learn more about:(1) what decolonizing means; (2) the global
impact that colonisation has had on indigenous
communities; and (3) how to apply decolonizing
approaches to your leadership practice.
www.yorku.ca/edu/unleading/podcast-episodes/decolonizing-leadership

19

Let’s start withtransformative leadership.

A. TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIPYWCA’S APPROACH
TO YOUNG WOMEN’S
TRANSFORMATIVELEADERSHIP
Young women have the power to collaborate with,inspire, co-create with, and inspire creative changewith other people to create positive change in self,
in families, communities, and organisations.14
There are a series of values that are key for young
women to develop leadership skills, awarenessof their strengths, knowledge of their rights andopportunities for action. The learning process andexperiences that a young woman goes through as she
acknowledges and defends her human rights, while
also strengthening the movement in her country andbeyond requires leadership to be:• Feminist and progressive: Feminism as an
ideology and a strategic framework tool for
analysing gender power relations in society.
It has also helped to develop social change
strategies that consider the transformation ofthese power relations at the heart of all socialchange processes. Rather than being a single
concept, there is a spectrum of feminism
shaped by the lived experiences, identities andcommunities of feminists around the globe.
Feminist change interventions are often viewed
through a ‘gender lens’, i.e. asking whether
gender equality and women’s rights are being
consciously addressed and advanced by thechange process.15• Community-based: As we mentioned earlier, thisGuide and the Rise Up! Program is rooted in thelocal realities of young women. Transformative
leadership derives from an understanding that
we have to address the root causes and the
14. World YWCA. Aspiring Leaders Inspiring Change. www.worldywca.
org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AspiringLeadersBookletWebVersion-June2021.pdf

20

15. World YWCA Glossary and Definitions www.worldywca.org/
wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1.World-YWCA-Movement-Glossaryand-Definitions-1-3.pdf

underlying factors that create inequalities,
disempowerment and young women’s lackof enjoyment of their human rights at thecommunity and grassroots levels.
• Intergenerational: Describes the relationshipbetween and across generations. Anintergenerational approach is grounded
in respect for the lived experience of eachindividual, independent of their age, and what
we can learn from them.16 Sharing leadershipis frequently intergenerational. By working
together, women of all ages can help each othergrow, maximise their strengths and fulfil theirpotential as change makers.
• Resilient and responsive: Resilient leaders
are able to adapt and recover from adversity,
trauma, tragedy and threats. Rather than being acharacteristic that individuals possess, resiliencecan be learned and strengthened throughself-care, network building and collaboration.
Resilience can also help sustain responsive
leadership by focusing on the young women
within their communities, organisations, families,
etc. to drive change.
• Sustainable: For transformative leadership to besustainable, long term investments at both thepersonal and institutional level are necessary.
Leadership is a continuum that has a beginning
but no set end. Sustainable solutions are reachedwhen young women are included in decision
making and their human rights claims arereflected in improved services, judicial actions,and equitable policies.

16. Idem.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

After reading the section above, you may want
to explore different types of leadership withyour group when you hold a training session. But
before you do, take a few minutes to think about
the types of leadership you've seen in action inyour own life. What is an example of leadershipthat you found effective, equitable, andimpactful? Conversely, can you think of someone
in a leadership position that is not transformativeor that doesn’t align with these values?

YOUNG WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP STORIES (NANAKO TOJO, 25 YEARS, JAPAN)
Nanako had completed her graduation and was looking for volunteering opportunities on the internet when
she came across the YWCA and immediately felt motivated to join.
Nanako is passionate about her work with the students of Japan. She organises leadership trainings andworkshops for school students. She believes it is important to mobilise and support the values of leadershipat an early age, so that young girls can demand their rightful place in the society.
Nanako is receptive to the needs of young people and is driven by evidence and realities of the community.
She engages school students in conversations about the potential of advocating on digital platforms andthe role of mainstream media to influence conscious thinking. She addresses the challenges of workplace
frustration among young working women, and the high levels of stress among university students.
Before the pandemic, she would visit educational institutions to communicate with school students
directly. She now hosts awareness sessions and training workshops for them online. To build camaraderie
between young working women and university students, she often organises group-based recreational
activities where they share their favourite music, books and movies. And Nanako uses the opportunity toanalyse them with a gender lens.
With her community-based leadership approach, Nanako is encouraging an atmosphere of mutual
exchange and shared learnings. Despite the fact that sexual and reproductive health and rights are largely
unspoken about in Japan, Nanako has been able to persuade young women and girls to talk to her about
the changes in their body and needs.
While it might seem like the world is progressing, there’s still a long way to go for equal rights. At home,young women don’t find the safe space to address questions about their body with their families. At
work, the culture is mostly sexist. In married households, women are primarily seen as homemakers andcaretakers of the children. But these same women are noticing a shift in their own perspectives. Witha focus on building skills, confidence and knowledge exchange, Nanako has been able to encourage asustained increase in participation of young women and girls. This has led to the creation of a pool ofyoung aspiring women who are willing to think big and pursue their dreams. Nanako’s next goal is to leadmore women into decision-making roles in Japan.

21

WHAT MAKES
THIS LEADERSHIP
TRANSFORMATIVE?
YWCA recognises all young women as leaders witha diversity of leadership qualities. The goal of Rise
Up! and its Leadership Journey is to ensure that all
young women feel prepared to voice their opinions
and take action for issues that are important in theirlives and in the lives of those around them, whilefeeling supported and safe. It is also about themfinding space, taking space, holding space, and giving
space to other young women leaders.

sustainable. It is about building momentum forquestioning age-old norms that inhibit progressfor young women, women and girls and enables
shifts in power structures and relations. When suchchange is led by young women, it becomes a gendertransformative change process that prioritises
gender issues and puts them at the centre.
Equipped with the right kind of knowledge, skills andvalues essential for transformative leadership, young
women can embark upon the journey of bringing
about transformative change. The matrix below
defines some of the key knowledge, skills and values
that Rise Up! envisages for its young women leaders:

Transformative leadership is a journey that is geared
towards bringing about transformative changethat shifts power structures, is long-lasting andKnowledge

22

SkillsValues• About self

• Critical thinking:Problem-solving,decision-making,curiosity to learn• Embracing diversity, equity,
inclusion and intersectionality• About one’s rights• Creativity:
Self-confidence,
Independence of judgement,
determination• Upholding right to active
participation in decision
making• About one’s community
and its issues• Empathy:
Act for others benefit,
compassion, tolerance,
safe spaces• Community driven:
People-first,
practising accountability• Norms and cultural practices• Executive function:
Goal-directedness,flexibility, alertness• Intergenerational, sharedleadership, collective power:
Especially of those mostmarginalised or under
represented

REMEMBER: Leadership is a continuumThis means that young women will cometo this training at different stages of theirjourney… you will too! The following elementsof the Transformative Leadership Journey areinterconnected and feed into each other. Thisapproach is not prescriptive or linear, andshould not be presented as a “one-size-fitsall” model.

Leadership skills and attitudes that are cultivatedover a period of time. A good leader is one who is anenabler and continually looks at making others better.
A transformative leader hence, should be one who cancritically diagnose issues and be willing to learn fromone’s situation and circumstances. Leadership also
requires self-confidence and the ability to be creative,
think out-of-the-box, be empathetic and collaborative,
and work in such a way that one is geared to makeone’s environment (home, community, planet) a moreequal and equitable place.
When young women become transformative leaders,
they act as enablers and empower those around themin their communities to speak up, diagnose problems
and find solutions through collaboration, thereby
making those necessary small shifts that culminate inbringing about transformative change.
These are the key components of the Rise Up!
Transformative Leadership Journey.
• KNOW OURSELVES
Building your self-awareness and confidence sets
the foundation to explore and make choices inevery stage of your life. This means, for example,
thinking about your interests; connectingwith your emotions and acknowledging them;reflecting about your intersecting identities, what
you bring to the community, your strengths, yourcapacities and the things you like the most about
yourself. This part of the journey invites you tocelebrate your unique character and discover
yourself as a leader.

23• KNOW OUR RIGHTS
Learning about your rights allows for a deeper
understanding of problems as human rights
issues, highlighting gender inequalities, clearly
identifying discrimination, and uncovering
their root causes. To tap into this moment of
your transformative leadership journey, think
about what the problem is in your community
or country… what doesn’t feel right or seems
unfair? Which groups of young women and girls
are more at risk of human rights violations?
Expanding your knowledge about humanrights in your context also involves identifying
discriminatory cultural practices, traditions oreven policies and laws, as well as the people
who have a responsibility in protecting andpromoting your rights and hold the power tomake decisions about it. Finally, think about
what needs to be done and how can young
women be engaged.
• STRENGTHEN OUR LEADERSHIP
When you increase your capacity to identify
human rights challenges, you generate support
around a common cause that affects yourwellbeing and that of other young women.
This helps to create a sense of unity andshared purpose. With information, support andencouragement, you and other young women
can identify problems, recognise your humanrights, reach out to form strategic partnerships,
organise solutions, and advocate for change.
Social movements, friends and peers, likeminded groups, and networks of civil society
organisations can all play a role in fostering yourleadership. Issues of trust, inclusion, diversity,and privacy are essential elements to supporting
you in your analysis of human rights and tomove from knowledge of rights to action forrights. Whether you decide to act individuallyor within a movement, it is important to ensure
an enabling environment that supports different
leadership choices.

• ADVOCATE AND ACT TOGETHER
A supportive environment better equips you
to assess situations and gather information
to support advocacy (at home, school, in thecommunity, or at the national or global level).
By choosing to act and advocate, you create
opportunities to challenge discriminatory andunjust practices and policies. With the capacity
to lead and analyse a situation from a humanrights perspective, you identify relevant decision
makers and engage with them to find solutions.
Regular check-ins and performance tracking
maintains the active involvement in the cycle ofsocial, economic and political decision making.
The purpose of your advocacy is to influencechange to achieve equality, justice, social
inclusion and human rights.
• SHARE OUR LEADERSHIPAs a leader, you understand the importance ofsharing this empowering experience with otheryoung women and girls in your community,knowing that supporting others in theirleadership journey and amplifying their voices
enriches and strengthens social justice efforts
and inspires others to become leaders. Sharing
leadership is frequently intergenerational.
This part of your journey encourages you topromote connections between young womenleaders and other young people in her home,school, community, and country; share life
skills, information, and your own leadershipexperiences to inspire others. By sharing space
you strengthen the collective power of young
women and girls.

“Experience has shown us that alone, theindividual voices of young women are often
forgotten or ignored, but together theircollective voice is deafening.”
What Young Women Want YWCA 201424

The result is two pronged, you, as a young woman,are supported to be a more confident and a capable
leader. At the same time, you apply your capacities tochallenge and change deeply rooted inequalities andpower structures that impede progress. Leadershipskills that are so transformative at the individuallevel, become equally powerful in challenging yourcommunity and country to address gendered power
imbalances, exclusionary decision making processes,
and discriminatory attitudes.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

After you finish reading this section ontransformative leadership, take some time toreflect on the following. What has been yourjourney with leadership so far? What can you
share with your group about your process ofgetting to where you are today in your leadership
journey? Then, invite the participants to reflect
on their own leadership journey.
(NOTE: See Activity 2 in Section 3)

Diagram 2. Transformative Leadership JourneyKNOW
OURSELVESKNOWOUR RIGHTS

25

STRENGTHENOUR LEADERSHIPSHARE OURLEADERSHIPADVOCATE AND
ACT TOGETHER

B. HUMAN RIGHTS
For example: Regardless of the place you are born,
the color of skin, the religion you practice, your gender
identity or sexual orientation, your ability, the language
you speak, the education level you’ve been able toobtain, the job you do for work — everyone has rightsthat are neither given or taken away. There may berights violated or denied, or access to these rights
hindered, but the rights themselves are always there.

Let’s talk about human rights. What are they? Where
do they come from? Why is it important to know about
them? Why is it important to make sure your peers
and community members know about them? Whatdo human rights mean for your work? Specifically,
what does a human rights based approach mean forgirls, young women and women in all their diversities?
We’ll tackle all of these questions and more together.
But first, let’s make sure we cover some basics.

2.

INTERDEPENDENTThe fulfilment of one right depends, wholly or inpart, to the fulfilment of other rights. The rightof everyone to an adequate standard of living
can not be compromised at the expense of otherrights. This means one set of rights can not beenjoyed fully without the other.
For example: Access to hygiene and sanitation isa basic human right. However, access to sanitarypads, especially for young women and girls, is often
hindered by bias and taboo in many communities
and countries. This stigma has a detrimental impact
on the reproductive health of women, young womenand girls. Furthermore, in many communities, young
women and girls are not allowed to go to school(or might be too embarrassed to do it) when they
have their period, affecting their right to education.
The interdependent nature of human rights requires
comprehensive approaches to ensure that young
women and girls have access to menstrual hygiene inorder to fulfil their right to education.

3.

INDIVISIBLE
Rights cannot be separated out from or classified
above other rights. All human rights have equal
status. Each one contributes to the realisationof a person’s human dignity through thesatisfaction of his or her developmental, physical,
psychological and spiritual needs.
For example: After the COVID-19 outbreak, many
countries implemented responses that did not

WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings,
regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language,
religion, or any other status. Human rights include
freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinionand expression, the right to work and education,and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights,
without discrimination.17

FACILITATOR'S LENS

It’s very possible that you’re new to the conceptof human rights just like your peers will be when
you lead a workshop. One of the exercises you
may choose to do with your group is a quick
brainstorm of what key human rights issues
everyone cares about. Before you get into thissection, take 3 minutes to jot down some humanrights issues (or human rights violations) you see
happening in your community or that you careabout on a global level.
Human rights are framed by 4 key principles:
1.

UNIVERSAL AND INALIENABLE
Everyone is born with and has the same rights. All
people, everywhere in the world are entitled to them.

17. www.un.org/en/global-issues/human-rights

26

take into account women’s needs and rights. For
example, reproductive health supplies and services
were interrupted. These disruptions services havelong-term public health consequences, especiallyfor women, young women and girls. Governments’recovery strategies to the COVID-19 emergency
demands interventions that take into accountwomen’s rights and ensure a continued financial
support to reproductive health supplies and services.
4.

EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION
All human beings are equal in dignity. No one
should be discriminated on the basis of colour,
race, ethnicity, gender, age, language, sexual
orientation, religion, political views, national,social or geographical origin, disability or any
other condition or status.
For example: Anna is a 16-year old Ukranianfleeing from the war. Aditi is a university student
from India and a mother of two. Ingrid is anindigenous community leader in Guatemala. These
3 young women come from different contexts andhave faced different challenges throughout theirlives. However, they were born equal in dignity
and are entitled to fully access and exercise their
human rights regardless of their refugee status,
their education level, whether or not they havechildren, or their ethnicity.

Here’s a quick video to give some basic information
about human rights:
What are the universal human rights?
Benedetta Berti

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR UPHOLDING HUMAN
RIGHTS?
The short answer: all of us are responsible. But when
we talk about human rights, we’re talking about alegal system first and foremost, but that’s connected

to so many other aspects of life — social, political,
economic, cultural, etc. Let’s break this down a little bit.
The main engine that powers human rights and theaccountability that accompanies these rights isinternational human rights law. The foundations of thisbody of law are the Charter of the United Nations andthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted
by the UN General Assembly in 1945 and 1948,
respectively, following the horrors of World War II,
which established the United Nations we know today
and articulates as one of the main purposes of the UN
to “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.” Since
then, the United Nations has gradually expanded
human rights law to encompass specific standards for
women, children, persons with disabilities, minorities
and other vulnerable groups, who now possess rightsthat protect them from discrimination that had long
been common in many societies.18
Through ratification of international human rights
treaties, Governments go through a process to aligndomestic legislation — or national laws (usuallya constitution) — with their treaty obligations andduties. In short, governments are responsible formaking these human rights actionable within theirnational legal system. Further, where national laws
fail to address human rights abuses committed byany number of actors, including the state itself, there
are mechanisms and procedures for individual andcollective complaints available at the regional andinternational levels. These regional and global levelmechanisms include special tribunals, regional
courts, and the criminal courts (the International
Criminal Court, which tries individuals for genocide,
war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression;and the International Court of Justice, which isthe principle judicial arm of the United Nations).
The main mandate of these mechanisms is to help
ensure that international human rights standards areindeed respected, implemented, and enforced at the
local level.19

18. www.un.org/en/global-issues/human-rights
19. www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-and-mechanisms/
international-human-rights-law

27

LEARN MORE

Here’s an example of human rights abuses
against indigenous people in West Papua
by the Indonesian government. West Papua
or Papua is a province under the control
of Indonesia. The people of West Papua
are not protected by the laws of Indonesia
and are unable to claim their rights, andare seeking support at the regional andinternational levels (rather than at thenational level) to address issues of humanrights violation and Independence for theWest Papuan people. (www.lowyinstitute.org/
publications/west-papua-issues-wont-go-awaymelanesia#sec42351)• International Court of Justice: This court is theprincipal judicial organ of the United Nations,based at the Peace Palace in the Hague; theCourt’s role is to settle, in accordance withinternational law, legal disputes submitted to it
by States.
• United Nations (UN) Secretariat: comprises
the Secretary-General and tens of thousands ofinternational UN staff members who carry out
the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by
the General Assembly and the Organisation’s
other principal bodies.

FACILITATOR'S LENSWHAT DOES THE UNITED
NATIONS HAVE TO DO WITH
HUMAN RIGHTS?
The United Nations is made up of 6 main bodies
that mostly monitor and investigate human rights
violations:• General Assembly: This is the main deliberative,
policymaking and representative organ of the UN
comprising 193 member states.
• Security Council: Its primary responsibility is themaintenance of international peace and security,
governed by 15 member states (5 permanent / 10
non-permanent), each getting one vote.
• Economic and Social Council: This is theprincipal body for coordination, policy review,policy dialogue and recommendations on
economic, social and environmental issues, aswell as implementation of internationally agreed
development goals.
• Trusteeship Council: The Council was
disbanded in 1994, but was established toprovide international supervision for 11 TrustTerritories that had been placed under theadministration of seven Member States, andensure that adequate steps were taken to
prepare the Territories for self-government
and independence.

28

When you are leading a training, it would beinteresting to hear what awareness participants
have of the UN. But first, how have you engaged
with the United Nations, if at all? In what
capacity? What are your reflections? What aresome of the criticisms you might have heard of
the UN system?

In addition to the main bodies of the UN, there are ahost of commissions, funding facilities, departments
and agencies.
To learn more about the UN System, check out thischart of different UN bodies and a bit about theirfunctions. (We will discuss specific human rights
issues that affect girls and women a bit further downin this Guide, so stay tuned.)

WHO ARE “RIGHTSHOLDERS”? AND WHO ARE“DUTY BEARERS”?
Duty bearer is an entity or individual having a particularobligation or responsibility to respect, promote andrealise human rights and to abstain from human rights
violations whereas all human beings are rights-holders
under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The relationship between a rights holder and a duty
bearer works both ways:

not only to ensure they have ownership over the
programme, but also to sustain progress.

• Individuals and communities need to be fully
informed about their rights in order to participate
in decisions that affect them.
• Governments and other duty bearers often needsupport to develop their capacity, the resources,
and the political will to fulfil their commitments
to human rights.

A rights-based approach develops the capacity of
duty-bearers to meet their obligations and encourages
rights holders to claim their rights.20

To learn more:
Rights Holders and Duty Bearers: International
Human Rights System
UNCRC (part 2): Who is who?

The rights-based approach deals not just withoutcomes but also with how those outcomesare achieved. It recognises that people are both
actors and agents of change, rather than passive
recipients. Ensuring that people have the information,
education, resources, and capacity to hold institutions
accountable is essential. Their participation is central,

Governments have three levels of obligation:
To respect, protect and fulfil every right.
1. To respect a right means refraining frominterfering with the enjoyment of the right.
2. To protect a right means to prevent other parties
from interfering with the enjoyment of rights.
3. To fulfil a right means to take active steps toput in place laws, policies, institutions andprocedures, including the allocation of resources,
to enable people to enjoy their rights.
For example: Let’s look at an example of this as it
relates to disability rights.
• The obligation to respect – States parties mustrefrain from interfering with the enjoyment of therights of persons with disabilities. For example, States
must not perform medical experiments on persons
20. www.unfpa.org/human-rights-based-approach29

with disabilities without their consent or exclude a
person from school on the basis of a disability.
• The obligation to protect – States parties must
prevent violations of these rights by third parties.
For example, States must require private employers
to provide just and favourable working conditions
for persons with disabilities, including by providing
reasonable accommodation, meaning working
conditions must be adapted to support the needsof all employees including those with disabilities.
States must be diligent in protecting persons withdisabilities from mistreatment or abuse.
• The obligation to fulfil – States parties must takeappropriate legislative, administrative, budgetary,
judicial and other actions towards the full
realisation of these rights (see box above).
Here are some examples of the types of administrativeand legislative actions a state can take to protect thehuman rights of persons with disabilities:• Promote training on the rights of the Convention
to all public sector workers and encourage
and incentivise the private sector to undertake
similar training• Consult with and involve persons withdisabilities in developing and implementing
legislation and policies and in decision-making
processes that concern them.

WHY IS AWARENESS-RAISINGABOUT HUMAN RIGHTSIMPORTANT FOR (AND TO)
GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN?
When it comes to creating lasting change, a basic
awareness of human rights will help to contribute thefollowing:1.

• Adopt legislative and other measures to abolish
discrimination.
• Protect and promote the rights of persons withdisabilities in all policies and programmes toensure their specific needs are addressed andnot overlooked• Stop any practice that breaches the rights ofpersons with disabilities by raising awareness,
implementing policy and law, and resourcing
services.
• Ensure that the public sector respects the rightsof persons with disabilities.
• Ensure that the private sector and individuals
respect the rights of persons with disabilities
through awareness campaigns, education andvisibility.
• Undertake research and development ofaccessible goods, services and technology for
persons with disabilities through a participatory
approach and encourage other institutions toundertake such research.
• Provide accessible information about assistive
technology to persons with disabilities.

2.

It enables people to claim their rights. It is ahuman right to know about your human rights!21
By receiving that education, young women canidentify when rights are being violated and standup to defend them.
It underscores the importance of diversity. Whenpeople, especially children, adolescents, andyoung people (and young women in particular!)are exposed to information about their humanrights, it encourages them to respect theconcepts of diversity and equality from anearly age. It demonstrates that, no matter thedifferences between people — race, gender,
wealth, ethnicity, language, religion, etc. — weare equal rights holders.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

What does diversity mean in your local
context? Reflect on how different groups in yourcommunity are treated / what impact that has on
their human rights. Take a moment to think about
what this looks like in your community.

21. “Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals,
Groups, and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally
Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,” Article 6

30

3.

4.

5.

6.

It provides a fuller lens through which to understandhistory. Understanding history through a humanrights lens is critical to learning from injustice ofthe past and guiding interventions in the future.
Additionally, learning about human rights throughhistory challenges simple and biased narratives,
especially those which prioritise the perspectivesof colonial and oppressive systems and actors.
It encourages people to recognise the root causesof human rights issues. By recognizing the rootsof problems, people are better equipped tocontribute to change. For example, it isn’t enoughto know that gender based violence is a humanrights issue for young women. To effectively
address it, people need to know that genderbased violence is deeply rooted in discriminatory
cultural beliefs and attitudes that perpetuateinequality and powerlessness, in particular of
women, young women and girls.
It fosters critical thinking and analytical skills.
Beyond simply providing information abouthuman rights, education and awareness-raising
about human rights also requires people to use
critical thinking and analyse information. Many
human rights issues are complicated, and all
human rights issues intersect with other issues(see definition of intersectionality below).
Working on human rights issues requires us
all to think, identify credible / reliable sources,
challenge biases, and build arguments. This
makes human rights discussions more productive
and meaningful.
It encourages empathy and solidarity. An
important piece of human rights work is
recognizing that human rights are universal.
When people realise that rights are being
violated elsewhere, they are more likely to feel
empathy and solidarity, especially if they areexperiencing similar violations in different partsof the world. This is how movements are built!
The violation of one person’s rights is a violationof everyone’s rights. This belief unites people –even those very different from each other – andprovokes action.

7.

8.

9.

It encourages people to value human rights.
When people gain an awareness andunderstanding of human rights, what they learn
can shape their values. They will realise how
important human rights are and that they aresomething worth defending. When you know
about human rights, you are more likely to standup when they believe their rights (and the rights
of others) are being threatened.
It fuels social justice activities. When people
are educated and equipped with the necessary
skills, knowledge, and resources, they will
work for social justice in their communities.
This includes raising-awareness for the mostvulnerable members of society and establishing/ supporting organisations that serve basic
needs. Believing in social justice and equality
is an important first step, and knowing abouthuman rights and how to advocate for them is
how change happens.
It keeps governments accountable. Humanrights education (HRE) doesn’t only encourage
people to hold organisations accountable.
It encourages them to hold governments
accountable, as they are the main duty-bearers.
Human rights experts say that HRE is criticalto government accountability. Armed withknowledge, skills, and passion, citizens have thepower to challenge their governments on issues
and demand change. HRE also helps provide
activists with resources and connections to theglobal human rights community.22

FACILITATOR'S LENS

During your training, it could be helpful tosupport participants to think further abouthuman rights violations happening in theircommunity that may not directly affect them.
First, for yourself, take a moment to think about
any local rights violations that you’ve seen takeplace that don’t directly affect you but that you
know are wrong. See what comes up for you.

22. Adapted from: www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/
human-rights-education/

31

SELF CARE CHECK

There’s been a lot of information shared up to
this point. How is it sitting with you? Do you
need to take a break? Stretch your body. Drinksome water. Have a snack.

WHAT IS A HUMAN RIGHTSBASED APPROACH (HRBA)?
HRBA is underpinned by five key human rights principles,
also known as PANEL: Participation, Accountability,
Non-discrimination and Equality, Empowerment andLegality.23• PARTICIPATION – everyone is entitled to active
participation in decision-making processes which
affect the enjoyment of their rights.
• ACCOUNTABILITY – duty-bearers are held
accountable for failing to fulfil their obligations
towards rights-holders. There should be
effective remedies in place when human rights
breaches occur.
• NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUALITY –all individuals are entitled to their rights
without discrimination of any kind. All types of
discrimination should be prohibited, prevented
and eliminated.
• EMPOWERMENT – everyone is entitled toclaim and exercise their rights. Individuals andcommunities need to understand their rights andparticipate in the development of policies which
affect their lives.
• LEGALITY – approaches should be in linewith the legal rights set out in domestic andinternational laws.
23. Adapted from: ennhri.org/about-nhris/human-rights-basedapproach/#:~:text=The%20HRBA%20is%20underpinned%20
by,the%20enjoyment%20of%20their%20rights

32

HOW CAN A HRBA SUPPORTACTIVISM?
When you’re thinking about designing a program, acampaign, or an intervention of any kind, it’s helpful tokeep HRBA good practice in mind:24• Interventions clearly state that the realisation ofhuman rights is an ultimate goal.
• People (specifically girls and young women fromdiverse backgrounds) are recognised as key
actors in their own development, rather thanpassive recipients of commodities and services.
• Meaningful and equitable participation is both ameans and a goal.
• Strategies are empowering, not disempowering.
• Both outcomes and processes are monitored
and evaluated.
• Interventions focus on marginalised andexcluded groups.
• The process is locally owned and rooted in thepriorities of girls and women.
• Interventions aim to reduce disparities andempower those left behind.
• A full analysis of the context, history, and situationis conducted to identify immediate, underlying androot causes of key issues / injustice.
• Analysis includes all stakeholders, including thecapacities of the state as the main duty-bearer
and the role of other non-state actors.
• Human Rights standards guide the formulationof measurable goals, targets and indicators ininterventions.
• Strategic partnerships are developed and sustained.

24. Adapted from: www.unfpa.org/human-rights-based-approach

SO, WHAT DOES ALL OF THISMEAN FOR GIRLS, YOUNG
WOMEN AND WOMEN?
Women’s human rights have been at the centre of theUN value system since it was founded. While there is along history of women’s human rights efforts since thebeginning of the UN, women and young women havebeen leaders in social and human rights movements
since long before that. Beyond this, women, young
women and girls represent half of the world’s population
and, therefore, also half of its potential. Besides being afundamental human right, gender equality is essential
to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential
and sustainable development.

Did you know that World YWCA has passed
over 40 resolutions around peace in its
decades of existence and is a key advocate
for adoption and implementation of UNSRC
1325? One of the core goals of the YWCA
advocacy around peace and justice is to
Increase the inclusion and meaningful
participation and representation of young
women and intergenerational leaders at
policymaking and peace processes.

There is still a long way to go to achieve full equalityof rights and opportunities between men and women.
It is of utmost importance to respond to the multiple
forms of gender violence and secure equal access toquality education and health, economic resources andparticipation in political life for both women, young
women and girls and men, young men and boys.25

33

just in the courts. It’s just as important to shift norms,
challenge stigma and taboos, and support grassroots
organising as it is to change laws.
In terms of human rights instruments specificallyfocused on women, the Convention on the Eliminationof All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW) is the international human rights treaty
that matters most. CEDAW aims to eliminate allforms of discrimination against women and topromote equal rights between men and women
worldwide. Described as the international bill of rights
for women, the convention was adopted in December
1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. The
Convention entered into force as an international
treaty in September 1981 following the ratificationof the twentieth State. Out of the 193 UN Member
States, 189 States have ratified CEDAW (the UnitedStates, Iran, Palau, Somalia, Sudan and Tonga being
the exceptions…) making the Convention one of themost highly endorsed human rights treaties.26
Here are a series of brief videos that explain CEDAW’s
principles / mandate:
CEDAW Quick & Concise: Explaining the Principleof Non Discrimination
CEDAW Quick & Concise: The principle of state
obligation
CEDAW Quick & Concise: The principle ofsubstantive equality
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) is the body of independent
experts tasked with monitoring the implementationof the CEDAW. The CEDAW Committee consistsof 23 independent experts on women’s rights fromaround the world. To learn more about the work of thecommittee, click here.

Beyond taking legal action, coming together andapplying a human rights based lens to injustice is a
powerful way to start conversations, push those incharge to make a change, and connect like-minded
communities. Over time, change can happen, and not

Each of the 189 states that have ratified CEDAW must
report on the measures they have adopted relating to
the rights described in the Convention, and on the
progress the State has made in upholding the rights

25. www.un.org/en/global-issues/gender-equality

26. rutgers.international/resources/cedaw-advocacy/

of women. States have a timeline to make progresson policy, take action, and report on it. The committee
examines each report and addresses its concerns andrecommendations to the State party in the form of“concluding observations.”
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) andcivil society organisations (CSOs) play a key rolein this process, as they are often the ones holding
governments responsible for their commitments andcalling out human rights violations that the state iscommitting. International Women’s Rights Action
Watch (IWRAW) is the leading organisation on
CEDAW, providing support to NGOs around the world
as they seek accountability for women’s human rights.
Additionally, Rutgers and ARROW offers a toolkit (seebelow) on how to find out what your government
has committed to and how they are doing on theirreporting about key women’s human rights issues.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Take a look at the Rutgers / ARROW toolkit andvideo on how to determine your government’s
obligations under CEDAW and to see if they
are meeting their commitments. Is it easy toaccess this information? What are some of
the challenges you face as you try to find out
what they are doing? Can you search for someother countries from where your peers are
from, before they go through this exercise in theworkshop or training?

PROTECTING WOMEN’S
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Anyone, regardless of their profession or job, can bea human rights defender; they are identified primarily
by what they do and what they stand for rather thanby their employment or work designation. Somehuman rights defenders are professional humanrights workers, lawyers working on human rights
cases, journalists or media workers, trade unionists or

LEARN MORE

In 2000, the Security Council adopted
resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security,
which calls for the increased participationof women and the incorporation of gender
perspectives in all UN peace and security
efforts (including participation of women indecision-making and peace processes, gender
perspectives in training and peacekeeping
and gender mainstreaming in UN reporting
systems). Since then, the UN Security Council
has adopted several resolutions on women,
peace and security. In 2008, it adopted
landmark Resolution 1820 (2008), the first
devoted to addressing sexual violence in
conflict situations. The subsequent follow-up
resolutions, 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009),
1960 (2010), have focused on preventing
and responding to conflict-related sexual
violence, and have established the United
Nations architecture to this end, including
the appointment of the special representativeon sexual violence in conflict and theestablishment of a Team of Experts on the Ruleof Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Did you know that World YWCA has beena major force in pushing for the adoption of
Resolution 1325?
www.un.org/ruleoflaw/thematic-areas/
human-rights-and-genderdevelopment workers. However, many human rights
defenders are not earning revenue from their workin favour of human rights. Some also work to engage
with the international community on human rights,
advocating at the United Nations, regional bodies
such as the African Union or Council of Europe, and /or in State capitals.27
Women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are all
women, young women and girls working on any humanrights issue (those who identify self as “women/
young women defenders” or “girl defenders”), andpeople of all genders who work to promote women’s
rights and rights related to gender equality. Because
the work of WHRDs is seen as threatening the status
27. humanrightshouse.org/we-stand-for/human-rights-defenders

34

quo and challenging traditional notions of family andgender roles, it often puts women and girls at risk.
This can lead to stigmatisation, exclusion and hostility
by State and non-State actors, including community
leaders and family members who consider them to bethreatening religion, honour or culture through theirwork. In addition, the work itself, their participationin feminist movements, or what they are striving toachieve — for instance, the realisation of women’s
rights or other rights related to gender equality —also makes them targets for attack, as to discourage
WHRDs, individually and collectively, from pursuingtheir work.28 This is particularly true for WHRD in
countries where there is conflict, ongoing civil orpolitical unrest, or a protracted crisis,29 whether the
conflict has been present for decades or is recent
based on the shifting political global landscape.
The State has the primary responsibility to ensure an
enabling environment for all human rights defenders,
and to protect defenders from threats and attacks. Theinternational community as well as national-level UN
presence also have a responsibility to support, engage
meaningfully and protect them. Prompt investigationof intimidation, threats, violence and other abuses
against women human rights defenders should beundertaken. In practice, however, WHRDs are often
left without effective, inclusive and gender-responsive
protection mechanisms.
The Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)30
is one step towards recognizing the important roleof WHRDs and outlines relevant rights of all HRDs
and obligations of States. The UN General Assembly
furthermore adopted this landmark resolution on theprotection of women human rights defenders.31

28. www.ohchr.org/en/women/women-human-rights-defenders
29. www.humanitariancoalition.ca/protractedcrises#:~:text=Protracted%20crises%20refer%20to%20
situations,and%20breakdown%20of%20their%20livelihoods
30. Additional languages available here: undocs.org/Home/
Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2FRES%2F68%2F181&Language=
E&DeviceType=Desktop&LangRequested=False
35

31. www.ohchr.org/en/women/women-human-rights-defenders

Here are some resources to help you stay safe, healthy,
and sane in your human rights work:• Staying Resilient While Trying to Save the World(Volume 2): A Well-Being Workbook for YouthActivists (Amnesty International)• Gendering Documentation: A guide for and about
Women Human Rights Defenders (Women
Human Rights Defenders International Coalition)• Our Right To Safety: Women Human Rights
Defenders’ Holistic Approach to Protection(Women Human Rights Defenders International
Coalition)• Claiming Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook
on Women Human Rights Defenders (Women
Human Rights Defenders International Coalition)• Enhancing the Protection of Women Human
Rights Defenders and Journalists: Survivors’
perspectives (webcast event, 12 APRIL 2022)• Our Rights, Our Safety: Resources for Women
Human Rights Defenders (International Land
Coalition)• Women Human Rights Defenders confronting
extractive industries (AWID)

C. FEMINIST VALUES + PRINCIPLES
A transformative leader truly understands that good
leadership is about supporting and enabling others
to lead, and building power with others and not overothers. In this Guide you will see that a lot of feminist
values and principles appear in other sections. But
this section is key to understanding what the basic
concepts are at the root these values and principles.

“We must fight for approaches of feminismthat consider other power inequalities,
historical and colonial dynamics that cause
the masculine gender to structure this cycle ofoppression. Without building systems that are
anti-racist and support systems that include
the needs of racialized women, the fight against
gender-based violence will remain incomplete.”
Raquel Bennet, Brazil

EQUITY + EQUALITY
INTERSECTIONAL +Transformative leadership recognises the role that INTERGENERATIONAL
power plays in all aspects of life. It is important that as
you move into your journey as leaders, you consider
the power you hold (or are perceived to hold) andhow to share it with everyone. When rooted in equityenhancing approaches, leadership has the power tobuild much needed momentum for collective change.
Power shows up in many different types of ways. For
example, how your room for training is set up: Do you
have the room set up so that there is one speaker at thefront of the room addressing the rest? Do you have acircle, for equal sharing? Is there a ramp for a wheelchairto access the room?. It is important to be aware ofwhat you can do to change power dynamics. A lot of
the tools in the skills-building section and Facilitator’s
Toolbox offer ways to question and challenge this.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Before we talk about the importanceof intersectionality for young women’stransformative leadership, ask the participants
to close their eyes and imagine that they arelooking at themselves in a mirror. What do theysee (gender, caste, language, ethnicity, age,disability, etc.)? What part of our reality, or self,
dominates us more? How is our innate diversity
shaping the way we look at the world?

Originally coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989,
intersectionality is a principle and a tool that helps
us understand and respond to the ways in which
our intersecting identities can contribute to uniqueexperiences of oppression and privilege.32 This meansthat the interconnected nature of our identities cancreate new and interdependent power relations,discriminations, (dis)advantages, or privileges.33
Intersectionality 101
Intersectionality is key to decolonise leadership andtransform power structures. When we embraceintersectionality as a principle, we embrace diversity
and build the foundation to collaborate with young
women, acknowledging all aspects of their identities.
Understanding the different lived realities of young
women helps avoid further harm (oppression) andexclusion of one group of young women over another. It
also reinforces how diversity and inclusion are critical inbuilding safe spaces for transformational leaderships toflourish through consultations, dialogues, healthy debates
and practicing feminist and human-rights principles.

32. UNPRPD and UN Women (2022). INTERSECTIONALITY RESOURCEGUIDE AND TOOLKIT An Intersectional Approach to Leave No One
Behind. Available at www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/202201/Intersectionality-resource-guide-and-toolkit-en.pdf

36

33. World YWCA Glossary and Definitions www.worldywca.org/
wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1.World-YWCA-Movement-Glossaryand-Definitions-1-3.pdf

Diagram 3. Intersecting identities

CASTE

REGIONCLASSRELIGIONRACEEDUCATIONETHNICITYAGE

SEXUALITYLANGUAGE

GENDER

CONFLICTZONEDISABILITY

Source: World YWCA & Feminism India

Incorporating an intersectional lens in your journey to
become a transformational leader requires:34• Reflexivity. Examine your own unconscious
biases, beliefs, judgements and practices, as wellas those of your organisation, and how these may
influence how you work and engage with otheryoung women.
• Dignity, choice and autonomy. Respect anduphold the dignity, choice and autonomy of all
young women.
• Accessibility and universal design. Take auniversal design approach, ensuring accessibility
and reasonable accommodation.
• Diverse knowledges. Prioritise and learn frompeople with diverse forms of knowledge who
are typically excluded from ‘expert’ roles. Thereis a relationship between power and knowledge
production and design.
• Intersecting identities. Consider how diverse
identities interact to create unique social effects
that vary according to time and place.
34. UNPRPD and UN Women (2022). Op. cit., p. 13-14.

37• Relational power. Be aware of and challenge
relational power, including your own. People
may experience power in one context / time andoppression in another.
• Time and space. Recognise the influence oftime and space. Nothing is static, privilege anddisadvantage are fluid and influenced by oursocial positioning and location.
• Transformative and rights-based. Promote humanrights and address inequalities by transforming
social structures and changing the way resources
and relationships are produced and allocated.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

After reviewing this section, take a moment tolook at your intersecting identities and continue
the conversation you started at the beginningof this section. How do you experience bothprivilege and oppression? How do theseexperiences shape the way you approach
your learning and your leadership? Encourage
participants to have a moment of self-reflection,
as well, and provide a safe space for sharing.
(NOTE: See Activity 1 in Section 3)

As much as intersectional is key, true leadership
understands the role intergenerational differences
and similarities can play in working with communities.
In your work with communities, it is critical to havemeaningful engagement between people acrossgenerations, as to have a more collective approachto achieving social change. Being consciously awareof the different generations helps us recognise theopportunities for partnerships and collaborations.
Ageism can create a big barrier to effective
collaborations. It is an example of discrimination thatprevents you from seeing someone for who they are,rather than one perception of them. People bring somany intersecting realities into a conversation, andage is just one of them. This discrimination can goboth ways, and includes negative perceptions about
the group based on their age.
Here is what you can do to ensure you are being
intergenerational:• Be curious, open, kind and respectful of thedifferent age groups.
• Think from a collaborative approach — facilitatingexchange of knowledge, skills, resources acrossthe difference.
• Provide across age mentoring opportunities.
• Offer engagement activities that accommodate
different circumstances and routines.
• Be open to understanding different working styles,
technology access and exposure and approach tosocial issues and their impact across generations.

38

DIVERSITY + INCLUSIVITY
As you work across intersectional and intergenerationalgroups, you will interact with many different people. Eachone of us is different, perhaps because of how we look,our religious or spiritual beliefs, our age or even where
we come from. Understanding and acknowledging thatall people are different, and respecting and learningfrom these different perspectives is important for:• building important relationships and alliances• creating a sense of community and belonging• adding deeper insights to training programs andcommunity engagement.
It is important for leaders to be inclusive, and evenmore important that every individual knows theirrole and responsibility when it comes to proactively
ensuring inclusion. Language is a powerful tool fordemonstrating and promoting inclusivity. Keep in mind
the intersectional realities you just learned about inprevious sections. Using language to ensure inclusivity,and framing sentences from a power-sharing andinviting stance can help ensure all around you feelsafe and empowered to join rather than being passive
participants. In the next chapter, you will go throughinformation about how to build a safe space in orderto learn more about how to design diversity, equity
and access with inclusion in mind, while Section 8 willtake you deeper into prioritising and acknowledging
diversity and inclusion.

D. SKILLS-BUILDINGThis section provides an overview of key technical,
professional, and inter-personal skills that can beapplied to a variety of issue areas and situations tomake your activism more impactful, and that are
relevant in your transformative leadership journey.
While going through this section, it’s important toremember that you will be working with diverse groupsof young women and girls, and that their backgrounds
and realities may be vastly different from others. For
example, some may be very familiar with technology
and use the internet on a daily basis, whereas others
may have limited access to technology and may be
more active on ground.
As you journey through this section, it will be
important for one to keep the following things in mind:• The content in this section is an overview, andhas further reading / additional resources for you
to explore if you want to deepen your knowledge.
• You will be working with diverse young womenand girls, and that their backgrounds and realities
may be vastly different from others. We invite
you to put yourself in their shoes and think about
what level of skills they might want to build.
• Some people work on these skills for their whole
lives and throughout their careers. The concepts
may not land right away on the first time, but you(the facilitator) are encouraged to be patient withyourself and your participants as you work withthis content!
Each skill subsection provides an introduction, tips
and activities. You will find the full explanation of eachactivity in the Facilitator’s Toolbox to plan further
steps, including which skill would be relevant next.
While familiarising yourself with these skills, it’snecessary to keep in mind that creating change,

39

or advocacy, is all about collective action, creating
networks and supporting one another. While it could beoverwhelming or lonely to try and change somethingby yourself, if you work closely with your peers andyour community, a lot more can be accomplished. In
other words, when we say “you” here we don’t mean
only you; we mean you and others, always.

1. CREATING SAFE SPACES
The idea of ‘being safe’ means enjoying your rights
while free from stigma and discrimination. A Safe
Space means a place where participants can share
their experiences and challenges, access information,
develop more awareness and build their capacities.
A Safe Space also creates opportunities for young
women and girls to empathise with each other,find friends, and build networks with others who
have shared interests and desire for change. These
opportunities enable discussions on issues, challenges
and potential solutions.
Similarly, training sessions, group discussions or evena conversation with friends in the neighbourhood
can provide opportunities to discuss topics that may
be difficult or considered ‘taboo’ in wider society.
While these discussions can be very exciting, andinspiring, it’s important to remember that different
people hold different perspectives and have firmly
held beliefs. Building a Safe Space for discussions
is important to ensure that everyone is able to fully
participate, encouraging reflection in their own, andeach other’s experiences.
The core element of Safe Spaces is to build awarenessthrough well balanced and emotionally healthy
discussions to plan transformative actions. Safe Spaces
can further facilitate opportunities for engagement

and direct dialogue with government representatives,
policy makers and other decision makers.

• validate your experiences with your peers*• identify solutions to address the issues that you
care about

In a Safe Space you can:					••
••build awareness about different issues
bust myths
discuss common concerns
talk freely without being discriminated or
excluded for your views• overcome issues of stigma and fear

* NOTE: Validation doesn’t mean agreeing with,
judging, or “fixing” others’ experiences, but rather
acknowledging another person’s emotions, thoughts,
experiences, values, and beliefs.
		
The ten defining elements and best practices
standards within World YWCA are:			

1. ACCESSIBILITY
Training sessions and meetings take place in areas and locations which are accessible, central and convenient,where safety and privacy are assured, and must provide accommodation or various tools necessary toensure that all participants can fully access and participate in sessions. Ensuring outreach to remote areasand isolated communities using mobile outreach programs and rural networks. When talking about virtual
platforms for training are accessible, user-friendly, confidential and free from violence (e.g. cyberbullying).

Scenario Example:
A local organisation had a leadership program for young women and girls. The program venue was far from thecommunity area. The young women and girls had to take at least two buses and cross past a forest to reach theprogram venue. YWCA provided the transportation allowance on a daily basis. But the participants found it quitedifficult to commute as they could not return home in daylight. They mentioned this during the feedback session,
following which the organisation made it a point to ensure that subsequent program venues were not only easily
accessible for participants but included provisions for safe accommodation and meals, which would enable themto participate fully without any concerns about transport, travel, safety and time spent in reaching the program.

2. SAFETY AND PRIVACY
Safe spaces must ensure the safety and privacy of participants, including confidentiality regarding thediscussion; if any information or content from the safe space is to be shared, consent from the participants must
be sought and granted.

Scenario Example:
A local NGO was conducting workshops on recognising and preventing domestic violence, and many young
women from the local community were attending. During one of the sharing sessions, one young woman spokeof her personal experience, and broke down as she shared. She also realised that several of her neighbours were
hearing a deeply personal story she had never told anyone before. One of the staff members understood this, andreminded the group that the young woman had shared her story on the assurance of confidentiality and hopedthat the others present would support her through this difficult emotional journey. that everyone was welcome toapproach her or others on the team for further clarity and support. All the other participants reassured the young40

woman that her story was safe with them, and several even offered to check in with her on a regular basis tomake sure she was alright. The young woman who shared her experience was relieved that not only did she now
have a space to share her experiences, but also had friends who understood and supported her.

3. LEADERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION
Women and young women-led spaces that offer secure, inclusive and empowering spaces for participantsof all ages and in all their diversity. Leadership development and inclusive participation are essential
components to foster solidarity and ownership that empowers young women to be agents of change.

Scenario Example:
Our team was seated to have a meeting to discuss the next month’s programs and activities. In the team we
had two new junior staff who joined us. Being new they always like to ask questions to learn more. Whilein the meeting the team leader was delegating action items, one of the young junior staff asked a question
about deadlines. The team leader paused, and took a few moments to address the staff member’s concerns.
She also took a moment to check in with the wider group on whether they had any doubts or concerns. She
encouraged the team to raise questions when in doubt, reminding them that it’s good practice, and that theirquestions would not just help themselves, but also others, and that everyone was welcome to approach heror others on the team for further clarity and support.

4. ACCURATE AND RELIABLE INFORMATION
Sharing and promoting factually accurate, evidence-based information that empowers participants to accessrequired resources and make informed choices.

Scenario Example:
Recently we were delivering a SRH session. The session was focused on Menstrual Health Hygiene. The
facilitator spoke about the menstrual cycle and said that every normal woman has 28 days straight and if you
have another less or more, it means you have serious health problems. A lot of the young women and girls inthe session looked scared and confused. One of the participants raised her hand to point out that that wasincorrect information. But the facilitator was adamant. However, there was a nurse from the local community
clinic who had been invited to speak at the session. The nurse gently intervened to advise the group that while
many women and girls may experience a menstrual cycle of 28 days, others may have longer or shorter cycles,
and even explained some of the reasons with examples to provide more clarity. The young women left thesession feeling grateful and relieved to know more about themselves, their own bodies and menstrual cycles.

5. TRUST AND COMMUNITY
Places where participants can come together, openly share experiences, discuss their thoughts, their challenges andtraumas, build solidarity and trust with others, while assured of confidentiality and feel validated and supported.

Scenario Example:
Sanaya (22 years) visits the local YWCA where she was welcomed by other yw/w. She was asked the
purpose of visiting YWCA, being shy and unsure how to answer she did not speak a word. The YW at41

the YWCA took care of her and invited them to a sitting area to relax. One of the young women who
accompanied her, shared the works of YWCA and extended her support if needed. Sanaya then realised that
she can speak without fear in the YWCA because it is a space for YW. And she wouldn’t have known if theother YW did not encourage her to.

6. INCLUSIVITY
Safe spaces where all participants feel free to share openly and be respected, regardless of their identity;
where everyone feels embraced and welcomed in all their diversity.

Scenario Example:
Monica invited Nazneen to her local NGO meeting. They were having a new training program on young
women’s leadership, and Monica was sure her friend would enjoy it. Nazneen was nervous, she didn’t know
any of the people there, and was sure she would be the odd one out. Sure enough, when she went to theevent, not only was she dressed very differently, but everyone stared at her spiked blue hair! When it was her
turn to introduce herself, she felt shy and mumbled her name, and didn’t add any information about herself.
One of the other young women participating invited her to tell the group all about her beautiful hair colour
and another young woman asked excitedly about how she kept the spikes so fine. Nazneen looked up andrealised that the others were eager to meet her and get to know her. She then relaxed and soon was laughing
and enjoying the training with the other participants.

7. HOLISTIC APPROACHESTaking into account the multiple aspects and contexts that affect participants’ lives and provide informationand services that are responsive and meet the actual needs of participants.

Scenario Example:
In our organisation we deliver different programs to suit the needs of all women, young women and girls. We
provide life skills under the economic empowerment program to our informal vendors, we provide leadershipprograms to our young women, we even have illiteracy programs for all ages who cannot afford going to aproper school. If we only deliver one type of program we will not be able to reach everyone in our community.

8. INTERGENERATIONAL COOPERATION
Encouraging and creating supportive relationships like intergenerational dialogue, sharing, mentorship,collaboration and cooperation based on respect and equality among different age groups, with a focus ondeveloping leadership especially for women, young women, and girls.

Scenario Example:
A young woman was appointed as the National General Secretary (NGS) in our YWCA. She has been in the
YWCA for over five (5) years as a member and project staff before being appointed as the NGS. The first
board meeting came and she had to present reports, program status and so to the National Board Members.
She was so nervous and did not know where to start. A senior board member stood up and assured herthat it was OK to be nervous and went and stood by her side and guided her through the process of her first42

meeting with the board. While helping her the senior board member also noted that the YW had so many
new techniques that she used in her presentation. After the meeting she asked the YW to teach her how to
use the techniques that she was using. So there was good learning between the two.

9. DIGNITY AND RESPECT
Maintaining a culture of mutual respect and dignity, fostering trust among participants, and serving as
a space where people can support, inspire, encourage and validate each other without without fear of
judgement or discrimination.

Scenario Example:
Recently our organisation hosted a youth summit that was focused on rural young women. However, theparticipants that joined were not just rural young women but diverse young women. We had young womenof different faiths, different sexual identities, different geography, different ethnicity and different levelsof experiences. It was such an insightful event to get to know the varying issues that affect YW. We werefocused on one group but accepting every other group of YW allowed for a very great exchange and learning.
And everyone was respectful of each other and their differences in the summit.

10. PARTNERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Serving as a place for people to practise community and leadership, and to be accountable for themselves
and others, especially the wider community. Moreover, functioning to enact positive change in support ofgender equality and women’s rights.

Scenario Example:
A young woman once came into our organisation seeking help for a health problem she had. She explainedthat she was embarrassed of going to the hospital and did not want to seek their help and decided to cometo us. Because our organisation has a good working relationship with a nearby clinic, we asked the young
woman if she would be OK to speak to a nurse and doctor if they came to our organisation. She said shewould because she felt comfortable in our space. The YW got the help she needed and was on her way torecovering. She even went back to the community and informed other women, young women and girls ofwhat we had done, and today we have set up a small clinic in our organisation to help women, young womenand girls in the community who are embarrassed to go to the hospital.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Have you participated in a program where you were concerned about how to reach the venue? Have
you felt afraid to ask questions or share your thoughts because you’re not sure if you’re right or wrong?
Spend some time with the group to discuss each of these ten standard practices. Each person and groupwill raise different concerns and problems, depending on their background or community or experience.
Take a few moments to reflect on the various ways people understand these standards, and help thegroup frame the standards in a way that best suits them.

43How to create a Safe Space
Facilitating or creating a Safe Space comes with a lot of
responsibility. It must focus on building trust, ensuring
privacy and guaranteeing confidentiality. Participants
should fully understand and engage with introductory
and trust exercises.
Some things to keep in mind while building a safe
space:• Assess your own attitudes and beliefs:
Each of us comes with our own assumptions
and biases. It’s important to reflect on theseassumptions and knowledge to ensure self
awareness.
• Dealing with emotion:
Some of the activities may bring up personal
stories, or strong feelings, or trigger difficult
emotions for participants and facilitators.
It’s important to recognise, understand andhandle these vulnerable moments gently, andwith respect, to truly make these Safe Spaces
transformative.
• Dealing with disclosure:
While participants should not be invited to sharepersonal experiences of violence or assault, some
may choose to do so. Such disclosures should
be taken seriously, respectfully and without
judgement. It’s also important to prepare a listof contact details of relevant service providers
and support groups trained and experienced indealing with such disclosures should any of theparticipants be triggered and need additional
support beyond the workshop.
• Developing Trust:
Remember that whatever is shared in a Safe
Space is to empower each other. It should beheard without bias, judgement or discrimination.
Each person has the right to their opinion.
That doesn’t mean everyone must accept it.
However, you should be able to share your views
without being attacked. Identify and address
power relations. You and your participants

44

will be influenced by socio-cultural norms andstereotypes. There could be power dynamics
among participants, on the basis of identities likegender, caste, region, popularity or other reasons.
Some may just be shy!
• Confidentiality and privacy:
Participants need to be confident thatexperiences shared are safe outside of thephysical safe space as well. Participants may
feel concerned about being bullied or exposed
following the session. Building trust in a group isa gradual process, where participants develop aconnection with each other. The activity at theend of this segment will help participants define
for themselves what a safe space is, including
how to practice respect, trust and accountability.

REMEMBER

Keep your group small and simple! Your groupshould not have too many participants to ensurethat everyone has the time and comfort to share
their views. An ideal number of participants
would be 12 or less.
• Establish a group code of conduct. Referto the Common Agreement Activity below
to ensure that the participants define
expectations.
• Ensure participation in subsequent activities
and conversations are voluntary. Do not force
participants to share experiences if they
prefer not to.
• having emotions is normal, and we all express
it differently.
• Reassure participants that they are free to stepoutside the room for a moment if they need to.
• Dont react negatively or dismiss others’
experiences or ideas.
• Don’t assume gender identities• Avoid gendered language: use “partner”
instead of “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”.
• Avoid judgements: some sexual behaviours
can be more ‘risky’, not ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’.
• Use language that highlights peoples’
resilience in surviving difficult circumstances.
• In case participants disclose violent or
disturbing details of personal experience, do
not try to counsel the individual. Offer support
by listening. You can also provide a list of
relevant service providers and support groups.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Have you ever been involved with a group or aclub where you have common agreements thatyou articulate together? Take a moment to reflect
on what some of those agreements were andhow they served the group.
(There is an activity in Section 3 that will support
you to draft common agreements with yourtraining group).

To learn more about building safe spaces, please referto the following resources:						• Facilitation guide: A guide to using participatory
methodologies for human rights education(Amnesty International)• Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit(Advocates for Youth and Girl’s Best Friend
Foundation in USA)• Safe Spaces Guide (World YWCA)• Virtual Safe Spaces (World YWCA)

2. STAYING SAFE ONLINE
The internet and social media has become an
important part of all our lives. Many of us are online,
using the internet to learn, play games, talk to friends,
research or even shop. However, just like in the realworld, the online world too has people online who
may try to harm you. Often girls / young women
are targeted online just because they are young andfemale, and if they are politically outspoken, disabled,
Black or identify as LGBTIQ+, it gets worse.35 It is
important to know how to keep yourself safe online bylearning about these dangers, talking to your friends
and parents or teachers, and learning how to makeinformed decisions about staying safe online.
The different types of online dangers could include
software issues like phishing and malwares, or issues
with people like online bullying and cyberstalking.
Online bullying, also known as cyberbullying, can be
35. Plan International, Free to be Online. plan-international.org/
publications/free-to-be-online45

as harmful as other types of bullying. Cyberstalking,means using the internet and other technology toharass another person and can happen via emails,social media and other digital platforms like messaging
apps etc. Cyberstalking is a more dangerous formof cyberbullying, as it usually means a threat to thevictim’s safety, and is usually deliberate and persistent.
Most of the time, the interactions do not end even if
the recipient expresses their displeasure or asks the
person to stop. The content directed at the target isoften inappropriate and sometimes even disturbing,which can leave the person feeling fearful, distressed,
anxious, and worried.
This can include:• Writing mean or abusive things via messages oron online games• Posting hurtful messages on social media• Sharing embarrassing photos and videos• Creating fake accounts to shame or harass
someone• Engaging someone with instant messaging totrick them into revealing personal informationand misusing (or forwarding to others)• Creating online content like stories, cartoons,memes or photos which ridicule others• Revealing secrets, spreading gossip or rumours
about someone to damage their reputation• Stealing someone’s password to impersonatingthem online

Simple tips to tackle cyberbullying:• Report the bullying to a parent or trusted
adult• Report and block the account being used
to bully• Dont reply! If you ignore them, they may
lose interest.
• Keep all messages and photos they sent you,they may be useful as evidence later.

Social media is another place where a lot of work,and additionally, bullying, happens. Some tips toremember while using social media:36• Keep your personal information private.
• Know how to report posts• Keep your passwords safe and change them
regularly, at least every three months.
• Check and cross check your privacy and security
settings regularly.
• Be careful what you share. If there is something
you would prefer to keep private, don’t put it
online, even if your posts are private. Be mindful
about others as well. For example, check forpermission before posting photos of others online.
• Avoid adding strangers to your friends list, or
crosscheck backgrounds and common friends orconnections if you want to add a stranger• If meeting an online friend in person for the firsttime, remember to be safe — tell a friend or atrusted person some details about the meeting,like the location, some information about theperson you are meeting etc. Try to meet during
the day and at a public place. Trust your instincts,
if it doesn’t feel right, leave.
• Remember, information on the internet is easily
available and accessible by many people. You cancontrol information about you that’s available
online by carefully managing what you share via
social media, including photos and status updates.
• Be polite online. Remember to be kind, to avoid
personal comments (especially if you disagreewith someone!). Use facts and reason to engage.
• Consider carefully before sharing private, or
sexually suggestive photos online or with people.
It’s important to think about whether you trustthem to respect your privacy. Similarly, you should
not share others’ photos without their consent.
Remember that these could easily be shared
online, or ‘leaked’ and can cause a lot of hurt, anger
or even legal trouble for you or the other person.
• If you see anything online that you don’t like or
you find upsetting, there are several things you
36. www.worldywca.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WEB-fcmfinal_lo_res.pdf (page 103)46

can do: block and unfollow the account or page
posting upsetting or offensive content. You canalso report the content. If you find disturbing
content, it’s good to talk to your friends or tellsomeone you trust so they can support you.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of regularthings like meetings and group discussions to moveonline. One of the important things to remember isthat even online spaces should be safe, respectful
and comfortable.
If you want to host meetings or discussions online,
here are some tips to keep in mind:37• Choose a platform that others have access to,and are comfortable with.
• Test your platform in advance.
• Be well prepared with your presentation or
activities.
• Invite participants well in advance, and let themknow who else will be joining.
• Spend some initial time in your meeting or
discussion to set guidelines and basic rules forconversation and respect.
• Ensure confidentiality and privacy, and evenanonymity if required.
• Ensure that everyone has opportunities to speak,even the more quiet people.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

When you’re in a group for a training, whether
online or in person, it’s likely that at least somepeople in your group will have had experiences
online. Take a moment to reflect on some of thebroad themes that emerge in your mind when
you think about your overall online experience.
How have you used digital spaces to create
community? Conversely, are there times where
being online has made you feel isolated or
unsafe? Reflect for a few minutes.

37. Adapted from YWCA Safe SpacesTo learn more about staying safe online, please referto the following resources:• Women’s Guide to Cyber Safety 2022 (WizCase,May 2022)• Social media privacy guide (internetmatters.org)• How online gender-based violence affects
the safety of young women and girls (WebFoundation, 8 March, 2021)• Free to be online? (Plan International)• It’s time to take girls’ digital safety and literacy
seriously (World Economic Forum, 11 Oct 2021)• Cyber Safe Girl e-book• We Rise, We Lead (World YWCA’s Young
Women-led Feminist Consultation Methodology
Guide), World YWCA, 2022

3. UNDERSTANDING
AND FINDING RELIABLE
EVIDENCE AND RESEARCHAs leaders in your community, you may be eager toaddress and change some problems. Before you begin,
it’s important to do careful research to clearly define
the issue. Once you have identified the issue, you willthen need to find reliable evidence.
Evidence means facts or information that will support
your demand that things need to change. Reliable
evidence means information that is sourced from acompetent and vetted source, based on professional
expertise, previous research, or even data publishedby specific authorities or sources.
Information you will need to gather includes: howdifferent people are affected by the problem, what
factors contribute to the problem, which of thesefactors is easy to address and who can possibly
address the problem.
Some examples of reliable sources of information are:47

• UN agencies (e.g. UN Women)• NGO or civil society organisation research /reports relevant to the topic• Academic papers, medical or journal articles
which specialise on the topic• The National Statistics Office in your country
Some of these sources can vary depending on
the topic, for example when researching sexualand reproductive health rights, there may be localorganisations already working on the topic — theiroffice and activists are likely to already have a lot ofgood information available. Similarly, there are global
campaigns and local social media initiatives that canhave useful information.

Example:Researching statistics on crimes against
women in Myanmar led to different sources of
information, such as:• UNFPA country data and information• Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
report on Sexual and gender-based violencein Myanmar and the gendered impact of its
ethnic conflicts• A variety of Information and reports from an
online library, Online Burma/Myanmar Library• Media article from a popular and local media
outlet, The Irrawaddy• Media article from a popular international
media outlet, the New York Times• Official reports published by UN Women

The above example shows that information can begathered from:• Laws and policies• Unbiased / independent / non-profit media
publications• Verified sources from the internet and social
media• Research at a local or online library• Talking to experts like academics, journalists or
subject experts

• Talking to your friends and peers in yourcommunity — people with lived experience of thesubject matter• Other activists, organisations or experts who
have worked on this issue
Remember that a lot of unverified information isavailable online, and a TikTok video or someone’s
Instagram account or even YouTube videos may nothave the most accurate information! Please verify
and crosscheck your sources of information carefully.
Ensure that the information is up-to-date, andwhenever possible, try to verify the information fromat least two sources.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Take a moment to think about some reliable
sources of information. Keep in mind yourcountry or regional context and look up yourgovernment websites. Remember that this will
be different for different countries and topics for example, a government source for data on
violence against women in Thailand will be very
different from a government source for data on
violence against women in Kenya.

Alternatively as a leader you might be engaged incollecting and documenting evidence from the ground.
Do you know there are ways you can make the processof evidence collection and analysis feminist and truly
participatory? World YWCA’s Feminist Consultation
Methodology is a great source of in-depth explainations
and contains many tools and templates to get you
started on generating authentic evidence from groundin a much easier manner. This helps ensure voices ofyoung women and women are included, prioritising
diversity, equity, access and inclusion.
You can read more about this tool of World YWCA:• We Rise, We Lead: World YWCA’s Young
Women led Feminist Consultation Guide• How to Conduct Research: An Overview,
Community Tool Box

48

Research tips for primary research!
You can make your research participatory.
This means including those who would benefit
from changing the problem you are trying toaddress. They can be made co-researchers
by involving them in the planning and leadingof community led data collection. Encourage
diverse voices and include the insights of
those who have been historically excluded.
Evidence based research which is based onreliable data and statistics which is good forconvincing governments and policy makers.
While there are several examples of sources
for reliable data above, remember that thecommunities you are working with are often
a key, and crucial source of data! Community
led data-collection usually offers a realreflection of on-ground realities.
Keep your research transparent by telling
participants what you will do with theinformation, and where and how you hope
to use it.
Create safe spaces and allow diverse
perspectives to inform your research.
Acknowledge and promote ownership of
the research by building relationships withcollaborators, co-researchers, allies andparticipants. This will help them feel bothinvested as well as empowered to be involved
with your research.
Confidentiality is key to building trust. Make
sure you store information carefully. Ask people
if they would prefer to remain anonymous.

4. ADVOCATING AND
INFLUENCING POLICYCHANGE
Now that you’ve learnt ways to find reliable evidence
and data, it’s time to learn more about advocacy!
All advocacy must be based on true, reliable and/or
primary evidence. First we’ll define it, and then we’ll
talk about the various elements of organizing effective
advocacy efforts.

“Advocacy consists of both strategy
and action to achieve an objective. The
objective of advocacy is the engagement of
stakeholders in the decisions affecting them.
The actions to achieve the objective, such as
lobbying those stakeholders, typically occur
over time, and incrementally.”
From World YWCA Glossary and definitions

Advocacy basically means to support, promote or
defend rights, interests or opinions. Everyone has theright to live their best life, free from fear, discriminationand violence. These rights are promoted and protectedby many different kinds of laws, at local, national andinternational level. These laws usually direct a state or
government to protect its citizens and ensure that thepeople have access to human rights, and help themaccess justice, if their rights have been violated. Suchlaws also promise to prevent these injustices fromhappening again.
As young leaders in our communities, we may hear
about problems or challenges our friends or theirfamilies may be facing. Sometimes we may find that alaw or a program isn’t working the way it’s supposed

49“Advocacy is the act of speaking on thebehalf of or in support of another person,
place, or thing. It promotes equality, social
justice, social inclusion and human rights.
It aims to make things happen in the mostdirect and empowering ways possible”.
Adapted from: Empowerment Matters CIC,
& National Development Team for Inclusion(NDTi). (2014). Advocacy QPM: recognisingquality in independent advocacy; Code ofPractice. Action for Advocacy.

to, or has a negative impact on people. This is where
advocacy becomes important, so we can support
people, raise awareness and knowledge about theirproblems and even influence government officials andthe general public to help and change the situation.
There are many different kinds of advocacy — in thissection, we will learn about policy advocacy. Policy
advocacy is the use of advocacy to attempt to change
or influence unfair laws or programs of governments,
corporations or others who have a lot of power andinfluence over citizens or large groups of people. It is
important for:

•
•
•
•

solving specific problems
facilitating concrete changes
influencing public policies and programs
strengthening civil society and movements,
including youth and feminist movements• promoting diversity and inclusion• address inequalities• ensuring accountability
Accountability is a really crucial part of advocacy.
This is because accountability is the formal processof ensuring that governments and other stakeholders
uphold their obligations, promises and commitments
to adolescents’ health and well-being. Accountability
mechanisms also identify which actions and policies
are working, and which ones need to be changed.”38
Accountability increases and improves dialogue
between governments and civil society, and helps
people realise and demand their rights.

Example: A community level youth led organisation
partnered with a local NGO to raise awarenessabout menstrual health and hygiene. They
approached schools and local organisations to
conduct training sessions with school-goingadolescents, adolescent groups, youth committees,
women’s and mothers’ groups, female community
health volunteers, community leaders and othergeneral community members. They also invited
district health and gender officials who supported
and praised their work and have committed toreplicate such sessions in other districts. Further, thenational government allocated free distribution ofsanitary pads in schools from May 2020.
So how does one actually begin to advocate forchange? The next few segments will help you andyour friends / peers plan and begin your advocacy.
Some simple steps to keep in mind when planning
your advocacy:

Advocacy can create many opportunities
for accountability• Challenge a situation or practice that is
unjust or discriminatory.
• Active involvement of young women andgirls in social and political processes byparticipating in social monitoring andassessment of progress.
• Enhanced accountability mechanisms andunderstanding of decision makers• Improved allocation and expenditure ofresources• Generate knowledge and demand for
improved services and policies• Generate better data that is accessible foryoung people

1.
2.

3.

4.

5.
6.
7.

There are many different ways to ensure accountability
and influence decision making. For example, using
discussions, press conferences or activities like street
theatre, protest songs etc to inform the public orgovernment officials to raise awareness about rights
and defend them.
38. Advocating for change for adolescents! (2018)
pmnch.who.int/resources/publications/m/item/
toolkit-advocating-for-change-for-adolescents!

50

Define your advocacy goal and objectives
Analyse your issue from a human rights
perspective (See Section 2A for more info on
human rights based approach)
Identify relevant decision makers and potential
partners (mapping stakeholders) (refer to thenext segment on networking and managing
partnerships).
Identify useful strategies and create youradvocacy work plan (refer to the section on
Advocacy strategy)
Implement your advocacy plan.
Engage more people to join you.
Engage with identified decision makers to findsolutions.

Before we dive deeper into actually planning advocacy,listen to this podcast to hear directly from womenand young women as they share their experience andefforts in advocacy, mobilising for campaigns, andtaking action both on ground as well as at policy level.

Defining GOALS and OBJECTIVESOne of the first steps in planning your advocacy is
to identify goals and objectives. Your GOAL is thebroad definition of what you would like as the resultof your work.
An ADVOCACY GOAL is the change you want toachieve. It should describe:••••

your vision
the problem
the stakeholders you want to work withthe location you want to work in

OBJECTIVES describe in detail what you are trying toachieve.
Your objectives should describe:• WHO you want to reach
Whom would you want to work with? Yourfriends? Local community members? Government
officials? Perhaps ALL of these options?

• WHAT change you want to achieve• WHEN (time period) you will achieve change
Sometimes advocacy actions can be centredaround important public events like elections or
festivals, or legal issues like law amendments,
or court cases. In some cases, it could be an
urgent or emergency situation, like a natural
disaster or violence like war or riots. Advocacy
objectives will need to be sensitive to, andframed accordingly.
• WHERE (location)
This could vary depending on whether the actions
are to be in-person, at different places, or evenonline/digital events.
• WHY do you want to address this issue?
Defining this is important as it helps reiterate
the need for advocacy actions and what kinds ofactions are required.
• HOW will you bring awareness to this issue?
The example detailed below will help you
understand how to organise and plan your goals
and objectives.

EXAMPLE: Planning goals and objectives around a priority issue
There is too much street sexual harassment in our community. My friends and I often feel afraid to go out
alone, or if it’s dark. If we complain to our families, they tell us to stay home. When we go to school ortuition or even a friend’s house, we try to move in large groups. We don’t know who can help us, and how
to stop this.
Here, our advocacy goals should describe:• your vision - everyone should be able to live with confidence, respect each other, and live without fear
• the problem - too much street sexual harassment, many people in the community are upset, angry andafraid and don’t know what to do• the stakeholders you want to work with - members of the community, an NGO or organisation that raises
awareness about street sexual harassment, the local government officials, possibly the local police, local
media• the location you want to work in - in the community itself
Using the above example problem, our objectives would then be:51• WHO do we want to reach:a. The community (including men and boys as these are the perpetrators of harassment in this instance,
this is evidenced through reports and lived experience)b. The local NGO Stop Street Harassmentc. The local youth clubs - Young People Unite (a community assistance group), The Bad Boys Club (afitness club), and Eco Club, the local environment clubd. The local government official, Ms. Singh who is the administrator for our areae. The local police inspector Ms. Ruday and her colleague in charge of the Women’s Cell, Mrs. Dewi
f. Digital media platform E-News, which is very popular with the community & the local youth• WHAT change do we want to achieve:a. We want to stop street sexual harassmentb. Everyone should know and understand that street sexual harassment is unacceptable, harmful andpunishable by law
c. People should know how to respond or complain if they are harassed or see someone being harassed
d. Punishment for harassment should be swift, and strict• WHEN (time period) within when will we achieve this change:a. We will work on this for at least a year
b. We will evaluate our efforts on a regular basis to check if they’re working, or whether we need to change
strategies and activities
NOTE: This is simply an example. Usually such timelines will need to be set only after discussing with various
partners and stakeholders participating in the advocacy effort. These time periods could also depend on the actual
results of your advocacy efforts and the depth of the issue, in some instances advocacy can take years to achievechange, followed by continued effort to ensure it remains impactful and important.
• WHERE (location):a. We will work physically in our own community - the workshops and activities conducted should be done
as locally as possible to ensure many can participateb. Online - using social media and popular digital news platforms like E-News which have great influence
over locals and especially the youth• WHY:
a. Street sexual harassment is bad, unacceptable and punishable by law
b. It can cause terrible harm and lack of confidence. It has great effects on mental health, and can makepeople feel afraid and vulnerable. It’s especially not nice to feel that way in your own community,
amongst your own friends• HOW:
a. Workshops and activities with the entire community in collaboration with the local police officials Ms.
Ruday and Ms. Dewi and assistance from Ms. Singh in local administration, to explain and understandwhy street sexual harassment is bad, and how to tackle itb. Workshops and activities with men and boys in collaboration with the NGO Stop Street Harassmentc. Activities like art competitions, street theater productions, public events and press conferences withlocal youth facilitated by the local youth clubs and digital media platforms

52

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Goal Vs. Objective

You may feel confused about the difference
between GOALS and OBJECTIVES. Consider this:Imagine that your goal is to reach the top of Mt.
Everest. Your objectives would be the tasks youneed to accomplish to actually get there. Your
objectives, in this case, could vary from getting fit
and healthy to climb a mountain, to finding theright guide to accompany you, to buying the rightbackpack and boots, etc. Does this help you think
about how you might facilitate this concept?

The example above will show you that GOALS arelong term and express intended outcomes in general,
whereas OBJECTIVES are usually short term activities,
and express outcomes specifically.
The table below elaborates further:

Goals
Scope

Objectives

Broad, general statements on the intended
outcomeNarrow, usually very specific targets

Specificity

Overall desired outcome

Tangible actions required to achieve that outcome

NumberUsually one single goal is preferable

Usually there are multiple objectives required
to achieve one goal

TimelineLong term

Short or medium term

Measurement Most likely to be assessed in a quarter or a year More likely to be assessed on a daily, weekly or(i.e. long term)monthly basis (i.e. short term)
Strategy

Very useful for setting a specific direction orvisionImportant for planning steps toward an end
resultWhile planning your objectives, remember to keepthem SMART:

Activity 3 in Section 3 will help you understand better
how to narrow down on your objectives.

• Specific - this means that your objective must
define very specifically what change you would
like to see. Avoid using jargon or general terms
which could be misunderstood.
• Measurable - think about how you will measure
what you want to achieve.
• Achievable - consider how you can break down
all the steps you want to take to get you closer toyour goal.
• Relevant - remember that your objectives must takeyou a step closer towards achieving your goals.
• Timely (or time bound) - most advocacy objectives
should set realistic timelines (eg 2-5 years toachieve). Another thing to consider is whether
you want to match your objectives to coincidewith important events like upcoming elections, anational celebration day or even a global day like
Women’s Day.

To learn more about advocacy and influencing policychange, please refer to the following resources:• How is advocacy defined?39• Making Research Evidence Matter: A Guide
to Policy Advocacy in Transition Countries(International Centre for Policy Advocacy).40• Smart Advocacy (Advanced Family Planning)• Advocacy Toolkit podcast (YWCA)

39. UN Women Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence Against
Women and Girls, 201053

40. Full citation: Young, Eóin and Lisa Quinn (2012) Making Research
Evidence Matter: A Guide to Policy Advocacy in Transition Countries.
[Online Publication - International Centre for Policy Advocacy].
Available from:advocacyguide.icpolicyadvocacy.org

5. NETWORKING AND
MANAGING PARTNERSHIPS
Now that you know what you would like to change,
you need to look at who can make this happen. Thesecan be your allies, or your partners. These are people
and groups who can influence decision makers. This
could include government officials and policy makers,
legislators, national and international agencies andnon-profit organisations, community leaders, religious
leaders, youth clubs, students’ alliances and evendifferent stakeholders from your community (likeparents and grandparents). Remember that a solid or
good partnership is when each person adds value tothe group, and has opportunities to add or strengthen
agendas and intent and is able to participate fully (ifthey choose to) in the process of advocacy.

• Neutrals - people who don’t specifically careabout the topic or to support you and are likely toremain neutral• Passive Opposers - people who may disagreewith you, but may not do anything about it.
• Active Opposers - those influencers and decision
makers who don’t support you. These people will
work against you

FACILITATOR'S LENS

In your training, you may walk participants
through a mapping of allies and influencers.
Before you do, think about all the different kindsof people you meet in your community on adaily basis. Many may be your friends, and may
support and encourage anything you do, whereassome may be ready to criticise everything! Who
do you think would be your allies? Who may be
important influencers?

Identifying partners helps:
•
•
•
•
•

To ensure effective action
Pool resources and learn from each other
Develop new ideas and strategies
Identify best practises
Build capacity

Your partners and networks can help you map factors
including possible hurdles and outcomes. Rememberthat anyone can be your ally or opposer, regardlessof their gender, location or affiliation. For example,
an organisation supporting LGBTQI rights can be a
prominent ally in campaigns that could potentiallyhelp to cross promote their cause, e.g. a campaign
on bodily autonomy. Alternately, members of Men’s
Rights Groups, or Men’s Rights Activists are very likely
to oppose any campaign promoting women’s rights.

Tips and Tricks to engage
potential allies
Most people are busy, and overworked, especiallythose working in administrative and government
agencies. Similarly, many organisations or media
houses may not be willing to partner with you and yourgroup, even though you may really want to. Below area few tips and tricks to make key influencers WANT to
be a key partner in your advocacy campaign.
1.
2.

The different kinds of allies can be listed as follows:• Active Allies - those influencers and decision
makers who support you. These people will
help you.
• Passive Allies - people who may agree with you,but haven’t done anything about it.

3.

Always be polite and respectful
Understand and make note of local customs,
contexts and traditions, and check how they may
help promote the campaign. For example, while
dominant religious views and practices may
oppose the campaign, a local religious leader
who is progressive may prove to be an important
influence varying from the dominant discourse.41
Understand your influencer carefully — forexample, a politician may have made election
promises or a major pop star may have pledged

41. The rebel Buddhist monk who supports abortion and LGBT rights

54

4.
5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

55

support for a popular cause. Check if their workor causes have any links with your campaign.
Questions you could ask yourself:• How do our priorities align?
• How can our advocacy campaign help themachieve their goals?
• Do our stakeholders overlap?
Explain the advocacy ask in simple terms.
Expect and prepare key questions people may
ask (FAQs). If you don’t know the answer to aquestion, say you’ll look it up and let them know.
(And remember to revert to them!)
Identify and create relationships with key
stakeholders — update them regularly, and don’t
only contact them when you want somethingfrom them.
Invite and ask them to co-host appropriate /relevant advocacy activities.
Mention them, often! Most public figures enjoy
positive publicity, and that is often the incentive
for them to help you.
When dealing with administrative officials,
submit written documentation, reports orrequests. Ask for signed receipts if you aresubmitting key documents to an office.

10. Approach and provide specific actions wheninfluencers do choose to support your advocacy
campaign — for example you can ask them tosend letters in support, highlight the relevant
evidence in public platforms, organise meetings
for your group, etc.
11. Thank them, always and repeatedly!

6. ADVOCACY STRATEGY,COMMUNICATIONS AND
MONITORING
Now that you have identified the partners to achieve
your goal, you now need to think about strategies andactions. A good way to start is with a strategic plan!
This will help you list your actions.

SWOT Analysis:
A SWOT analysis is a mapping exercise that will help
you map out your Strengths and Weaknesses, andOpportunities and Threats. See the diagram below tounderstand how you can plan this.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Areas where you do well or
advantages of your organisation

Areas to be improved

Opportunities

Threats

External factors that may
contribute to your organisationand can build up your strengths

Potential problems / risks causedby external factors that yourorganisation may faceA SWOT analysis will help you not only identify yourinternal strengths and weaknesses, but also help you
look beyond, to external influences on your work. For
example, you may find that street sexual harassment
is a huge issue in your country or region, and thenduring the SWOT analysis, you may find that yourcountry’s laws preventing or punishing street sexual
harassment are extremely poor. Identifying this mayhelp you realise that you want to address this, andhelp change your country’s laws!

could include press releases, organising press
conferences, social media campaigns inviting
public participation, engaging social media andpop culture influencers to promote the campaign.
• Private campaigning - how you can engage andinfluence political decision-makers. This could
include writing letters to specific individual
decision makers, asking for their individual
support, or involving prominent religious leaders
who speak out against dominant discourse.42

Once you have completed your SWOT analysis, youthen need to think about tactics you can use. Tactics
could include many different things, like meetingwith government officials or holding rallies and press
conferences. Remember that to be effective, youradvocacy tactics and activities need to be timely.
The right tactics will help encourage more people tosupport your work.

Campaign message and communication is crucial.
They help articulate what the campaign seeks toachieve, why it’s worth achieving, how the campaign
would achieve it (including specific actions) andthe positive impacts of this achievement. You can
use many different ways to amplify your advocacy,
including:

While choosing tactics, discuss in a group:• Is this feasible? What are the challenges
you may face? What would be simple foryou to achieve?
• What skills and resources do we alreadyhave?
• Have others tried this? What happened?
• Would it engage your allies or decision
makers?

Your tactics can either be public or private, depending
how you organise your campaign message andcommunication. How you communicate about youradvocacy is important as it will help explain why it’s
important, what you want to achieve, how you willachieve it and the positive impact it will have.
You can think about tactics in two ways:• Public campaigning - how you can raiseawareness, build public support and engage
your audience including through media. This

• Meetings with decision makers - These could
be delegations who visit the decision maker, or
on-site meetings with affected stakeholders.
• Public meetings - these could include press
conferences or public hearings.
• Panel discussions / inter-generational dialogues• Mainstream media - meetings with journalists,press conferences, letters to the editor, op-eds etc.
• Technology and digital media - you can use
various digital media like social media andonline campaigns, podcasts, radio, independent
media and digital news platforms, blogs,
websites, survey platforms, signature platforms,
and much more!
An important part of running successful campaigns forchange is to constantly check whether you are making
progress. This is called evaluation. Evaluation helps
you understand whether your work is progressing,whether you need to pause any activities which are
not working, and whether you need to change strategy.
Don’t be discouraged if a strategy isn’t effective, it
only means you need to pause, reflect and re-energise
without losing hope!
42. LGBT in Indonesia: how first church to welcome queer members is alifeline for some, target for others56

To effectively monitor progress you will need specificadvocacy objectives and indicators, evidence toassess the status of campaign, data collection tools
required for evidence gathering
Planning clear indicators will help you in your evaluation.
For example, an indicator could be how many views
your YouTube video had, or how many members ofthe media attended your press conference. Other
indicators could be:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Case studies
Focus groups
Review meetings
Media tracking
Policy tracking
Social media analysis
Regular surveys or interviews with stakeholders
for feedback and recommendations

The next activity will help you plan your evaluation.

Six Steps to Planning Advocacy Strategy
Step 1: Frame the advocacy plan.
Begin with considering the following questions:• What is the problem you care about?
• Why do you care about it?
• How do you feel about it? (Upset? Angry? Sad?)• What do you think needs to change?
• Who can help make this change?
• Who else should care about this?
• Why should others care about this?
Use evidence based research to identify and provide adequate context on why the issue is importantand relevant. Analyse your issue from a human rights perspective (See Section 1 for more information onhuman rights based approach)

Step 2: Draft clear goals and objectives.
As explained in Section 4 on Advocating and Influencing policy, this will help with a clear message orstatement with what long term change you would want should happen.

Step 3: Define advocacy values.
What are some of the values that the advocacy will uphold and reinforce? Some values to keep in mind:• Creating a safe space• Using inclusive language• Collaborating and fostering co-creation with allies and partners• Embracing diversity and promote inclusion
Consider the following:• What values would you like to uphold?
• What values would your friends, community or allies like to uphold?

57

Step 4: Identify allies, opponents and other relevant stakeholders for advocacy.
In order to get public support for the advocacy efforts, it’s important to consider what partnerships andalliances are likely to help garner maximum public support. Similarly, consider which processes are most
likely to build trust, create coalitions and effective collaboration while fostering collective ownership. You
can read more about this in Section 5 on networking and managing partnerships.

Step 5: Get your message across.
Good messaging is crucial for effective and impactful advocacy. This means the following:
The advocacy statement has to be clear, and must be delivered and reinforced in ways that would makepeople pay attention and support the advocacy ask.
Section 6 details various ways that can be used to communicate the advocacy message. You can also
check out 198 METHODS OF NONVIOLENT ACTION, page 49 of Youth Activist Toolkit, from Advocatesfor Youth, 2019.

Step 6: Monitor and evaluate.
Monitoring progress and results of advocacy strategies is important to help understand what’s doing welland what could do better. Monitoring mechanisms also promote accountability, and accurate reporting
can help track activities and results like public support or increase in online supporters. Evaluation should
happen regularly to facilitate any adjustments required.
Consider this:• How did the advocacy activities and strategies work?
• What could be done better?
• What could be done differently?
Refer activity 8 ‘Assessing Advocacy Activity’.
You can find more activities to help plan advocacy strategies in this toolkit by The International Planned
Parenthood Federation (IPPF), 2011 as well as this toolkit by Unicef.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Was there ever a time when you tried
something and you weren’t successful? How
did that make you feel? Was there anything
you did to feel better? Did you try again? How
did you feel when you tried something and you
were successful?

58

7. MOBILIZING RESOURCES
AND FUNDRAISING
Leading change can be resource intensive. It could
require funds, time commitments and materials.
Fundraising and mobilising resources is a crucialpart of planning advocacy. You should keep track ofwhat resources you may require as it may affect yourstrategy and plans. Your advocacy budget should
include factors like costs for your team, travel, phonecosts or capacity building, activities (campaigning,
networking, conferences, media relations, etc.) andeven miscellaneous costs like chart paper or printing.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Other costs could include attending events, video
production or social media costs etc.

What opportunities might there be to mobilize
other resources beyond funding? Does one ofyour partners have an office printer that you
could use? Is there a friend you know who
works for a newspaper or magazine? Have youheard of crowdfunding? Consider which of these
options are available to you.

Resources checklist• Remember to consider others’ priorities whenplanning your work
• Consider the time it takes for approval processes• Keep in mind how many people will be involved
and for how long
• Remember to add capacity building activities foryour team

REMEMBER• Research the laws for receiving (or giving)
donations in your country, as they are different
for different countries.
• Research your funder carefully - ask yourgroup why this particular donor may beinterested in your work. Do they have certain
agendas or conditions to their funding?
• Look into crowdfunding via donation websites
or membership collections.
• People are resources too. Use your network to
get support as well as varied skills and abilities
in moving advocacy along.

LEARN MORE

There has been a historical lack of funding
for work led by young women and girls. Veryoften feminist movements and grassroots
organisations are ignored by major fundingorganisations. However, over the lastfew decades, some Feminist Funds havebeen created, which focus on creating
partnerships with, and funding local womenled organisations to identify problems andcreate solutions in their own communities.
The Association for Women’s Rights in
Development (AWID) released a report in2019 exploring how funders could potentiallyprovide abundant resources to fund feminist
movements. AWID, and other Feminist funds
believe that when young women and girls
collaborate and work together, they can createtransformative change.

You can read more about feminist funds at the links
below:• Prospera (an international network of women’sfunds)• FRIDA• The Doria Feminist Fund
• Mama Cash
• Toward a feminist funding ecosystem: A
framework and practical guide, by Association for
Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)

59

8. PRIORITISING AND
CELEBRATING DIVERSITYWhen you are working to change a problem, youwill meet and work with lots of different people fromdifferent places and backgrounds. Some things thatmake us different from one another are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

GenderSexual orientation
Ethnicity or culture
Religion or spirituality
Marital status
Parental status
Social status or wealth
Education
Age
Body size
Physical abilities
Location or region

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Do you remember reading about
intersectionality? Consider this: what are thevarious intersectionalities that exist in thisgroup you’re currently working with? How many
can you identify? You can discuss this in thegroup to remind everyone about the importanceof intersectionality!

• Diversity means all the ways we are different
from each other.
• Discrimination is when people are treated badly
because they are different in some way.
• Inclusion means a space where each person isrespected and valued for their perspectives andexperiences, despite their differences.
• Equity means fair distribution of opportunities,
power, and resources to meet the needs of all
people, regardless of age, ability, gender, income,education level, culture, and background.
• Anti-racism means a range of ideas and politicalactions meant to counter racial prejudice,systemic racism, and the oppression of specificracial groups. This usually includes conscious
efforts and deliberate actions which are intended
to provide equal opportunities for all people on
both an individual and a systemic level.43
43. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-racism60

Why is prioritising and acknowledging diversity
and inclusion important for your transformative
leadership journey?
Each one of us is different. Maybe because of where
we come from, or how we look, or ideas we believein, or even people we are inspired by! Sometimes,
these differences can lead to discrimination, either in
obvious ways like open harassment, or in subtle ways.
There are many different ways girls and young womenare discriminated against. An example could be whengirls are not allowed to complete their education, ora common perception that all women ought to be
married and have babies.
So what does prioritising and acknowledging diversity
and inclusion look like?

Diversity is being invited to the party;
inclusion is being asked to dance.
Verna MyersImagine going for a dance program. The room is full ofdifferent people, who look different from each other,
who dress differently, and who dance in different
styles. This is diversity.
However, diversity and inclusion aren’t the samething. While diversity focuses on ‘what’ makes people
different, inclusion means ‘how’ their differences are
acknowledged, promoted and welcomed. Inclusion at
the dance program would mean that the hosts haveconsidered and enabled the venue for different kinds ofpeople to attend, for example is the venue wheelchair
accessible? Are there well marked, accessible anddemarcated washrooms for everyone? Does the foodavailable allow for different food preferences, allergies,
or restrictions? Does everyone feel comfortable to joinin the dancing? To make the dance floor truly inclusive,it’s important that every single person, including theguest(s) in the wheelchair is invited to, and feels
comfortable to dance, free from fear and judgement,
simply for the pleasure of dancing!
Prioritising and acknowledging diversity
practising inclusion is important because:and• It helps you realise that personal, social andinstitutional biases continue to disadvantage
many people simply because they are different• It helps you build alliances• It helps you practice and gain respect for thefact that each person has different energy,
perspective and experiences.
In most traditional, hierarchical and patriarchal
situations, such people are already marginalised andsidelined. They’re afraid or unable or not allowed to
speak out and share their opinions in front of thedominant majority. Inclusion is not their responsibility.
It is not the responsibility of a person who is differentor ‘doesn’t fit in’ to make sure they’re included andaccommodated. The responsibility of ensuring
inclusion is on leaders, facilitators, decision makers
and even their peers.

61

It is important for leaders to be inclusive, to seekout (and value) individual and diverse perspectives,to create a sense of community and belonging, andto build deep connections amongst their team orgroup. The best inclusive leaders are those who are
open minded, accept their teams’ differences with
empathy, able to embrace diversity, and invite people
with diverse opinions, contexts and perspectives toparticipate fully, especially in decision making roles.
Similarly, team mates or group participants, especiallythose who come from dominant majority groups canplay an important role in ensuring inclusion.
Ensuring inclusion: a role YOU can play!
• Check your bias: be aware of what may
influence your thoughts about a person orgroup of people. Many of us may intentionallyor unintentionally be biassed against people
for many reasons — we can form biases foror against because of their community, theirreligion, their geographical location, the way
they dress or the language they use. Ask
yourself: is my bias based on facts or feelings?
Do I know enough about this person or theirculture or their community?
• Do something different: begin engaging andinteracting with different people, widen yourcircle of friends. Meet a group in your community
where you may be the minority! Are you learning
something new? Are you thinking differently
about them? Are you asking questions to clear
your confusion / doubts? It’s not easy to question
beliefs we already have about ourselves andpeople around us, so take the time to get to know
people and learn about them.
• Focus on similarities: while diversity highlights
the way we’re all different from each other,inclusion can help focus on similarities we havewith each, for example why we feel passionately
about a project. Focusing on similarities also
helps us to realise and dispel stereotypes, andtherefore reduce preconceived biases we have.

• Intervene, interrupt, be an ally: don’t allow others
to be offensive about diversity. For example, if
your friend is making a homophobic joke, don’t
laugh along. If your uncle is being rude aboutanother religion, you can tell him that’s just rude.
If you are conscious (and confident) in yourprivilege, you can use it to help other people bybreaking biases and stereotypes.

By acknowledging and celebrating differences andsimilarities, you can learn to respect and value every
individual, and their support with your work brings
opportunities to form powerful alliances.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Have you ever been around many people andyet felt left out? Have you wished that more
people understood you and your interests?

“Nothing about us, Without us!”
Example: A very common attitude towards
disability often perceives disability as anindividual’s “problem”, and often leads to
exclusion of people with disabilities. They
are often pitied, or feared, or simply seen as‘abnormal’.
However, people with disabilities havedeveloped an alternate understandingof disability, called the Social Model of
Disability. This perspective suggests thatwhile different people may have different
biological ‘impairments’ (eg. being deaf, or
having Down’s Syndrome, or having a learning
difficulty or being in a wheelchair), it is societythat truly ‘disables’ them.*
Think about it. Disability is the result of social,
cultural, political and economic barriers createdby society which does not truly consider theneeds of a person with disabilities.
When the city council announces 20 new bus
stops for the city, without considering theneeds of a person in a wheelchair, or a blind
person, the Council is willfully causing that
person to be disabled (or unable to accessthe bus stop!). However, when the Mayor andseveral Council members invite diverse people(including representatives from disability rights
groups) who are likely to use the bus stops tothe planning meetings, then they’re considering
diversity. When members of the different groups
are provided an opportunity to present theirperspectives and opinions, and are listened to,and their ideas are taken into consideration,then the City Council is being truly inclusive.
* Adapted from IDEAS Toolkit on Inclusive
Decision-Making: TOOLKIT FOR MEDIA.,
British Council. (2014).

62

You can find more activities on understanding andcelebrating diversity here.

9. NAVIGATING LEADERSHIPCHALLENGES
Young women and girls have the potential to play vitalroles as leaders in their communities. Learning how tonavigate leadership challenges and making space toengage in decision making is another important aspectin the transformative leadership journey of young
women. This could mean, for example, looking at theintergenerational dynamics within movements andorganisations; understanding the different leadershipmodels being practised, and working with other leadersthat follow a transformative approach, among others.
While some challenges are bound to a specific situation,others are ongoing. One way to be prepared is byidentifying potential challenges or risks that may comeup. This will help us assess potential solutions as well!

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Imagine the journey to your advocacy goal. What
are the steps you’re taking towards achieving
this? What are the possible obstacles in yourpath? What are the potential challenges? Get thegroup to think about these things and write themdown for a discussion on possible solutions. Do
some of the challenges feel too risky for you or
your peers? Is there a different way to achieve
the same goals? Sections 5 and 6 of this chapter
have tips and tricks to help you.

Some of the challenges that young women could
potentially face in their leadership journey andencompass diverse negative attitudes, practices andfactors are:
•
•
•
•
•

Cultural barriers
Toxic masculinity
Shrinking civic spaces
Tokenism
Risks and hazards44

44. Risk assessments are conducted prior to any activities or
initiatives involving young women and girls, to anticipate possible
challenges and ways of responding to identified risks. Where highrisks are identified, activities will not proceed until a mitigation
strategy is developed that reduces the risk to a medium or low
level. Risk assessment should, however, be an ongoing process,and one which girls and young women themselves are involved in.
Risk registers should be updated regularly.

Top Tips to navigate obstacles
and opposition• Prepare! Know your advocacy issue well, be
confident, creative and don’t be afraid!
• Keep it Simple! Use simple, accurate andpositive language.
• Acknowledge and resolve conflict.
• Create and sustain partnerships and allies(across genders). Look for opportunities tocollaborate. The more the voices, especially
if diverse and inclusive, the louder the noise!
• Know your opposition. Attempt tounderstand your opposition’s goal,
messages, tactics and their allies.
• Show the evidence! Use facts and evidence
based research to counter oppositionarguments.
• Know that some things are non-negotiable,
and sometimes can be compromised on. Be
prepared to let go when necessary.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

During your training, you may want to support
participants to conduct their own assessment
on challenges and strategies to navigate them.
See Activity 4 in Section 3.

• Building resilience through youth leadership(UNDRR)• Working With Adolescent Girl GBV Survivors
On The Move A Guide For Service Providers(UNICEF LACRO)• 2020 Safeguarding Policy (FRIDA)• Youth leadership in crisis response andsupporting resilient communities (OECD iLibrary)• Digital Care (FRIDA)• The Future of Advocacy (Women’s Major Group)63

E. YOUNG WOMEN’S RIGHTSARE HUMAN RIGHTS:
UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUESIn 2015, the World YWCA adopted a bold,
transformative GOAL to have “100 million young
women and girls transforming power structures to create
justice, gender equality and a world without violence andwar, leading a sustainable YWCA movement, inclusiveof all” by 2035. This GOAL is inspired by the UN’s
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development andits 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — a
global plan of action committed to Leave No One
Behind in the efforts to achieve economic, socialand environmental development, including theeradication of poverty and universal peace. The 2030
Agenda places dignity and equality at the centre.
YWCA’s work towards building human rightsbased, feminist, faith and intersectional leaderships
grounded in local communities and grassrootsdriven, aligns with this transformative vision and is
key to achieve the SDGs.
Progress on gender equality has been too slow, too
fragile or too fragmented. No one country in theworld has achieved gender equality and if the current
trends continue, the 2030 deadline to achieve genderequality will not be met.45
We believe that the engagement and leadership ofyoung women is vital to creating a better future.
The World YWCA is committed to supporting andgalvanising the individual and collective power ofwomen, young women and girls to champion socialchange, as well as working alongside organisational
allies, partners, and the broader global women’s
movement. We do this by building strong,intergenerational networks of women leaders, withparticular investment in the participation, leadership,
45. EM2030. ‘Back to Normal’ is Not Enough: the 2022 SDG Gender
Index (Woking: Equal Measures 2030, 2022).
www.equalmeasures2030.org/2022-sdg-gender-index

64

and advocacy of young women and girls. Through ourglobal collective work, we contribute to core areas
within the SDGs.
• Expand and sustain an inclusive movement ofyoung women, allies, and associations to achieve
the World YWCA Goal 2035 and the SDGs
promoting gender equality and inclusion, andpromoting inclusive, peaceful societies (SDGs 5,
10, 16, 17).
• Expand the reach and effectiveness of theYWCA movement to enable and support young
women and girls’ transformative leadership
through our work supporting leadershipdevelopment and engagement; ensuring
inclusion and accountability; and strengthening
gender equal, feminist institutions in every
space (SDGs 4, 5, 10, 16).
• Facilitate networks and spaces for women andgirls to claim their human rights and influence
local, national, regional, and international
priorities and policies with a specific focused on
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights andViolence Against Women and Girls (SDGs 3, 5,
10 and 16).
This section of the toolkit outlines some of thebiggest human rights issues for young women
as identified by young women themselves.46 The
international agreement on human rights such as
CEDAW47 requires countries to eliminate all forms

46. These seven issues were prioritised by the young women and girls
who participated in the consultation process led by the TorchlightCollective, with the support of the World YWCA and young womenleaders, including those engaged in the RiseUP! Program. However,more issues can exist. We encourage you to use your skills in datacollection and information gathering from prior sections to deep
dive on specific themes as needed. Learn more about the Feminist
Consultation Phase to produce this Guide in ANNEX 4: RISE UP!
GUIDE UPDATE.
47. www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/
ProfessionalInterest/cedaw.pdf

of discrimination against women and girls in allareas and to promote women’s and girls’ equal rights
in society. All of these issues relate to the others,
and they all have a series of sub-issues that alsointersect. The issues chosen for this section do not
fully capture all of the challenges that young womendeal with, but will provide a foundation for you tounderstand the unique health and social challenges
that young women face because of their gender anddisadvantaged place in society.
These topics are not meant to limit you, as noneof these issues exist in a silo, but rather provide
a foundation for you to explore these 7 topics a bit
deeper and decide for yourself what you, your peers,and your community want to focus on from there.
The key issues are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights
Economic Empowerment
Peace and Justice
Climate Emergency
Mental HealthSexual and gender-based violence
Faith and Feminism

Under each topic, you will find:• A definition of the issue and an explanation of
how it intersects with gender• A list of your rights within each issue area
• Some questions to think about or discuss witha group that will help you understand how this
topic is relevant to your community• A list of action-oriented resources for further
reading
The goal of the information provided is to give you aspringboard for your own learning on these topics aswell as enough information to plan a training session
based on the interests and priorities of the young
women you’re working with in your community. The
information is not exhaustive, but rather an overview

65with additional resources so that you can curate thelevel of detail you need.

FACILITATOR'S LENSAt this point in the Guide, you’re used to goingback and forth between sections, between
topics, and between concepts. You’re a criticalthinking superstar! As I’m sure you can tell fromthis section, all of these issues are interrelated.
Mental health is connected to peace and justice.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights arealso economic rights issues. Jot down one of
two of the interlinkages you see in this list, andstart to think about what ties them together.

1. SEXUAL AND
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHAND RIGHTS (SRHR)
Everyone has different SRHR needs. And just like all
human rights, everyone should have access to theirrights. Young women and gender non-conforming48
people have different needs from young men, andface unique obstacles in accessing their rights. Youngpeople from rural communities; from diverse religious,
cultural, and ethnic backgrounds; and with different
levels of education, have varying levels of knowledge,
needs, capacities, and resources when accessing their
SRHR. People who are pregnant, are mothers, are
LGBTQI, live with HIV, or have experienced sexual- or
gender-based violence also have different needs.

Why is SRHR important?
Reproductive health problems are a leading
cause of ill health and death for women, young

48. At World YWCA, we stand for inclusion and safety of LGBTIQ people.
We know that women and people of marginalized genders andsexualities share the commonality of oppression by patriarchy,
with the added intersectional experiences of race, geographicallocation, religion, culture, class and colonization. World YWCA has
been fighting for gender equality for over a century, and we believethat an inclusive, intersectional approach to human rights is vital tosustaining a bold, progressive women’s movement. We know thatdiversity brings strength to women’s movements and have sought
to deliver advocacy and support to diverse communities for many
years, in our commitment to strengthen community bonds with andbetween diverse groups of women, young women and girls. To learn
more: www.worldywca.org/this-internationalwomensday2021world-ywca-invites-all-to-sign-a-pledge-to-support-lgbtiqwomen-and-marginalised-genders

women and girls ages 15-49 in many countries.49
Gender inequality restricts women and girls’
sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
with women, young women and girls, and gender
diverse people unable to exercise their rights tomake decisions about their own bodies, sexuality,and health. In addition, many do not have accessto the comprehensive health care, information, andservices needed to make those decisions. Over 214
million women worldwide want, but lack access to,modern contraception; more than 800 women die
daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy
and childbirth and same-sex relationships between
consenting adults are still illegal in 76 countries.
These are the result of unacceptable taboos, biases,
misconceptions and restrictive laws and policies,and entrenched traditions that exist around SRHR
that limit women, young women, and girls’ control
over their SRHR, restrict their access to services
and impact their well-being. In addition, women,
young women, and girls often do not have safe andsupportive spaces to talk and get information about
SRHR issues.

LEARN MORE

Governments violate SRHR all over the world.
• 23 European countries require transgenderpeople to be sterilised before their gender islegally recognised.
• 47,000 pregnant people die every year fromcomplications from unsafe abortion, and thenumber is likely much higher.
• More than 14 million teenage girls give birth
per year, mainly a result of rape & unwanted
pregnancy• 76 countries criminalise consensual sexualacts by adults of the same sex
Global Fund for Women, Sexualand Reproductive Justice. www.
globalfundforwomen.org/what-we-do/
gender-justice/reproductive-justice

You have the right to:• Choose what you do with your body. This isabout the right to make one’s own informed
decisions about their lives and future. It is being
empowered to make choices.
• Define your own sexuality, including yoursexual orientation, gender identity, and gender
expression. These are the ways in which
a person identifies and/or expresses theirgender, including self-image, appearance, andembodiment of gender roles. One’s sex (e.g.
male, female, intersex, etc.) is usually assigned
at birth based on one’s physical biology. One’s
gender (e.g. male, female, genderqueer, etc.) is
one’s internal sense of self and identity. One’s
gender expression (e.g. masculine, feminine,
androgynous, etc.) is how one embodies gender
attributes, presentations, roles, and more.50• Decide whether and when to be sexually active;
choose your sexual partners; and have safe andpleasurable sexual experiences. Safe sex covers
sex with only one uninfected partner and theuse of protection against sexually transmitted
diseases including HIV. Enjoying sexual pleasureand feeling good about your body, being
comfortable with your sexual orientation is partof healthy sexuality.51• Decide whether, when, and whom to marry.52• Decide whether and when to have a child andhow many to have.
• Access comprehensive sexuality education whichis central to children and young people’s wellbeing. It helps equip them with the knowledge andskills they need to make healthy and responsible
choices in their lives.53

50. Basic Definitions: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression(SOGIE). www.chp.edu/-/media/chp/departments-and-services/adolescent-and-young-adult-medicine/documents/gender-andsexual-development/basic-definitions-sogie.pdf?la=en
51. Plan Parenthood. Sex and Pleasure. www.plannedparenthood.
org/learn/sex-pleasure-and-sexual-dysfunction/sex-andpleasure#:~:text=Sex%20can%20help%20you%20create,and%20
make%20you%20feel%20good

49. UNFPA. Sexual and reproductive health. www.unfpa.org/
sexual-reproductive-health#readmore-expand

66

52. Equality and Human Rights Comission. Article 12: Right tomarry. www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights-act/
article-12-right-marry
53. UNESCO (2021). The journey towards comprehensive sexuality
education. Global status. report www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/
pub-pdf/The journey towards comprehensive sexuality education Global status report.pdf

• Access a range of modern contraceptives.54• Access safe abortion services. Access to safe
abortion services reduces injury, illness anddeath from unsafe abortion.55• Receive HIV and STI prevention and treatment
services.56• Live free from gender-based violence, harmful
traditional practices (i.e. female genital
mutilation), domestic violence, intimate partner
violence, rape, and sexual assault57

FACILITATOR'S LENS

What SRHR issues are most prevalent in yourcommunity? What are some other rights you
have that are related to sexual and reproductive
health? Do you know how to access SRH
services in your community?

LEARN MORE

• The full story: Advocating for comprehensive
sexuality education that includes abortion (Ipas)• Expanding political support for abortion accessand rights: Global lessons for advocates (Ipas)• Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health(ASRH) Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings:
2020 Edition (Inter-Agency Working Groupon Reproductive Health in Crises)• Sexual and reproductive health and rights
in COVID-19 toolkit series (Partnership for
Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health)• Toolkit for monitoring and evaluating
adolescent sexual and reproductive healthinterventions in safe spaces (Women’s
Refugee Commission)• Youth power for youth rights: An interactive
toolkit for developing your national youth
strategy (Amnesty International)• Global LEAD Toolkit: Resources to support
opportunities for young people to contributeto and lead community development (USAID)• A Young Woman’s Toolkit for Advocacy on
Sexual & Reproductive Helath & Rights andMental Health (World YWCA & Feminism inIndia, 2020)

54. WHO (2020). Family planning/contraception methods. www.who.
int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception
55. WHO (2022). Abortion care guideline. www.who.int/publications/i/
item/9789240039483
56. WHO (2021). HIV/AIDS. www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/
detail/hiv-aids

67

57. UN Women Asia Pacific. Women live a life free of violence
asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/countries/bangladesh/
women-live-a-life-free-of-violence

SELF CARE CHECKThinking about your body and your sexuality is
deeply personal. It may bring up experiences
you’ve had or that your friends or peers haveshared with you that were harmful. If you needto talk to someone about your experience,
please reach out to someone you trust to talk it
through. There are also likely local or nationalcall-in centres, online or in person support you
can reach out to if you need to speak to someone
who is trained to support you in this area.
This can also be a time where you are
overwhelmed as our sexuality is affirmed andyou are seeking more support in this journey.
Similarly, reach out to friends or peers you trust.

2. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Young women’s economic empowerment is crucial forgender equality, women’s rights, poverty eradication,and inclusive economic growth for everyone. In
all labour markets, women continue to be treatedunequally. Economic empowerment also intersects
with discrimination based on race, religion, age,class, caste, physical ability, migration status, sexual
orientation, and gender identity, pushing many who
are multiply marginalized into poverty.
You have the right to:• Earn equal pay to men doing the same or similar
work. Women deserve equal pay like men especially
if they are working in the same work category.58• Earn pay that ensures an existence worthy ofhuman dignity and is supplemented, if necessary,by other forms of social protection. Everyone
who works has a right to just and favourable
remunerations that ensures their existence isworthy of human dignity.59• Have the same economic opportunities as men.
This allows women to get equal footing with men
and allows women to unleash their full potential
in any means of production.
58. Gender Equality Law Center. EQUAL PAY. www.genderequalitylaw.
org/equal-pay
59. United Nations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights www.
un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights• Work freely in just and favourable conditions
and with protection against unemployment.
Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of
employment, to just and favourable conditions ofwork and to protection against unemployment.60• Work in safe, secure, and healthy conditions,
including freedom from sexual violence,trafficking, partner violence, and unsafe sex.61• Form or join or organised labour movements, likelabour unions and worker’s groups, to protect yourinterests. This covers the freedom of association toguard against any form of exploitation and abuse.62• Access bank credit. This enables girls andwomen optimise on their savings, grow businessand move themselves and their families out ofpoverty and vulnerability.63• Have economic autonomy. This includes
having affirmative action across economic
empowerment policies.64• Access labour protections to assure women of
their jobs and limit unjustified dismissal from
employment that jeopardise their lives.65• Rest, including reasonable limitation of working
hours and periodic holidays with pay.66, 67• Recognition and appreciation of unpaid domestic
work performed by girls and women. This

60. ILO. C122 - Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122). www.ilo.
org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312267
61. WHO (2017). Protecting Worker’s Health. www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/protecting-workers’-health62. ILO. CHAPTER II Substantive provisions of labour legislation: Freedomof Association. www.ilo.org/legacy/english/dialogue/ifpdial/llg/
noframes/ch2.htm
63. International Finance Coorporation (IFC). Bridging the Gender Gap
in Access to Finance. www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/news_ext_
content/ifc_external_corporate_site/news+and+events/news/
bridging+the+gender+gap+in+access+to+finance
64. EUROSOCIAL Programme for Social Cohesion in Latin America.
Economic Autonomy and Care. eurosocial.eu/wp-content/uploads/
2020/07/8_194_Economic-autonomy-and-care_julio_ENG.pdf
65. ILO. The benefits of International Labour Standards. The
challenges of globalization have made international labour
standards more relevant than ever. What benefits do they
provide today? www.ilo.org/global/standards/introduction-tointernational-labour-standards/the-benefits-of-internationallabour-standards/lang--en/index.htm
66. UN. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 24. www.
un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-humanrights#:~:text=Article%2024,and%20periodic%20holidays%20
with%20pay

68

67. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Covenant_on_Economic,_
Social_and_Cultural_Rights

contributes and forms the basis for household
economies and family life.68

FACILITATOR'S LENS

When you think about the girls and young
women in your community, do any of theseissues about economic empowerment make you
think of any issues any of them are experiencing
in their lives? What about in your own life?

LEARN MORE

• Girls’ economic empowerment | Plan
International• Economic empowerment and skills
development for young women (UN WOMEN)• Youth and Women Economic Empowerment
Project (International Labor Organization)• Adolescent girls’ and young women’s economic
empowerment programs: Emerging insightsfrom a review of reviews (Population Council)• Reports and toolkits from UN SecretaryGeneral’s High-Level Panel on Women’s
Economic Empowerment

3. PEACE AND JUSTICE
Having worked in conflict and post-conflict spaces forover a century, the global YWCA movement continues
to advocate for peace and justice in communities,
countries, regions, and the world.69
We know that war, conflict, and violence impact
women, young women, and girls differently. In timesof conflict and instability, women, young women,
and girls are at severe risk of sexual violence, abuse,displacement, increased poverty, trauma, andexacerbated issues of gender inequality, health, and
68. Hirway, Indira (March 2015). “Unpaid Work and the Economy:
Linkages and Their Implications” (PDF). Indian Journal of Labour
Economics. 58 (1): 1–21. doi:10.1007/s41027-015-0010-3.
hdl:10419/146966. S2CID 154848656.
69. Peace with justice has been a constant vision and goal throughout
the more than 160 years of the global YWCA movement, as weknow that not only are women, young women, and girls profoundly,
negatively impacted by war and conflict, but their leadership isessential to promoting non-violence and achieving lasting peaceand justice. YWCAs around the world support this goal throughthe development and mobilisation of women’s leadership, witha particular focus on supporting the meaningful participation ofyoung women as leaders in advancing peace and justice in theircommunities, countries, regions, and the world.

access to education. We believe in a world with peaceand justice. To achieve this vision, we need the active
participation and leadership of women, young womenand girls to build peace that is not only inclusive andeffective, but lasting.
In order for women, young women, and girls tomeaningfully engage in these processes, it is criticalto provide safe spaces and resources to build theirleadership skills, gain knowledge and become
experts in their communities, enabling them todemand their rights and actively engage in peaceand reconciliation efforts.
Young women are part of both the WPS (Women,
Peace and Security) and YPS (Youth, Peace andSecurity) agendas and yet are at risk of exclusion
when they are placed into the categories of “womenand youth”. Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge
and include the diversity of voices, and address thediversity of needs, both within the WPS and YPS
agendas. Systematic collection and use of both sexand age-disaggregated data, and both gender- andage-sensitive analysis, as well as adequate financing
and monitoring of allocated funding to support young
women’s agency and address their specific needs is
an imperative.70
There are multiple global commitments addressing
the gendered impacts of conflict. SDG 1671 calls
for the promotion of just, peaceful and inclusive
societies. The landmark UN Security Council
Resolution 1325 (2000)72 on Women, Peace andSecurity recognises that women and children
are most adversely affected by armed conflict
and affirms the important role of women inpeacebuilding. It stresses the importance of
women’s equal participation and full involvement
in all efforts for the maintenance and promotionof peace and security, and the need to increase
their role in decision-making regarding conflict
prevention and resolution.

70. UN Women (2018). Young women in peace and security: at theintersection of the YPS and WPS agendas. Available atwww.youth4peace.info/system/files/2018-10/UNWOMEN_YPS.pdf
71. Learn more about SDG 16 here: www.sdg16hub.org
69

72. United Nations Security Council, Resolution 1325 (2000).
www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps/#resolution

LEARN MORE

Since 2000, the Security Council has adopted
ten dedicated resolutions on Women, Peaceand Security (WPS). Together they form theinternational policy framework on WPS.* The
obligations in the resolutions extend from theinternational to the national level. They guide
work to promote and protect the rights ofwomen in conflict and post-conflict situations.
* Security Council Resolution 2122 (2013)
calls for gender experts in mediation teams.
Resolution 2106 (2013) highlights issues of
SGBV in mediation efforts. Resolution 2242
(2015) further reaffirms that women and girls’
empowerment and gender equality are criticalto conflict prevention. Resolution 2250 (2015)
on Youth, Peace and Security was the first
resolution to recognise the positive role young
people play in maintaining and promoting peaceand security, while the subsequent Resolution
2419 (2018) reiterates the importance of youth
participation in peace processes.
** Peace Women. About women, peaceand security in the Security Council. www.
peacewomen.org/security-council/
WPS-in-SC-Council

You have the right to:• Live in a safe and peaceful society with accountable
and inclusive institutions. Conflict, insecurity,
weak institutions and limited access to justice area great threat to sustainable development.73• Participate in peace and justice quests,74 and haveincreased representation in all decision-making
levels in national, regional and international
institutions and mechanisms for the prevention,
management, and resolution of conflict.
• Be protected from human rights violations,
including humiliating and degrading treatment,
rape, enforced prostitution, and assault. Applying
human rights norms can address grievances,
reduce inequality and build resilience.75

73. Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies www.un.org/
sustainabledevelopment/peace-justice
74. OSAGI (Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues andAdvancement of Women). Landmark resolution on Women, Peaceand Security www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/wps
75. OHCHR. Preventing violations and strengthening protection ofhuman rights, including in situations of conflict and insecurity.
www.ohchr.org/en/about-us/what-we-do/our-roadmap/
preventing-violations-and-strengthening-protection-humanrights-including-situations-conflict-and• Access to safe spaces where you can learn about
how to engage in the prevention and resolution of
conflicts and help build a just and lasting peace.
This helps prioritise the participation of women,
young women and girls in conflict prevention
and resolution while serving as a channel for
their participation in decision making, peace andinstitutional reforms.76, 77• Participate and have your voices heard in peace
negotiations, peace and post-conflict rebuilding,and restitution. This is part of creating inclusivity
and allowing all populations in their diversities toparticipate in peace building and reconstruction.
• Access justice for any war crimes you are thevictim of.78 States have the primary responsibility toprotect their populations and to ensure that those
responsible for acts of genocide, crimes against
humanity or war crimes are held accountable andthat victims have a right to an effective remedy.79• Access channels for reconciliation, reparations,and a communal search for truth in order tobuild sustainable peace. Transitional justiceis vital in helping societies and governments
to appropriately address the past, rebuild
fragmented relationships, transform andempower affected societies thereby preventing
the recurrence of violations and assuring
sustainable peace.80

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Reflect on the following. What peace andjustice issues are most prevalent in yourcommunity? What are some other rights you
have that are related to peace and justice?
What is the role of young women leaders
and their organisations in implementing theresolutions on WPS?

76. United Nations Peacekeeping. PROMOTING YOUTH,PEACE AND SECURITY. peacekeeping.un.org/en/
promoting-youth-peace-and-security
77. UN Women. Conflict prevention and resolution. www.
unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/peace-and-security/
conflict-prevention-and-resolution
78. UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility toProtect. Accoutability. www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/accountability.shtml
79. Idem.

70

80. UN. Thematic Paper: Peacebuilding, Sustaining Peace andTransitional Justice. www.un.org/peacebuilding/sites/www.un.org.
peacebuilding/files/4._ohchr_thematic_paper_on_transitional_
justice.pdf

LEARN MORE

• Facts and figures: Women, Peace and Security(UN Women)• Young Women and Girls Read, Lead & Build
Peaceful Communities. A Toolkit for Young
Women and Girls Literacy, Leadership,
Economic Empowerment, Media & Theater(Global Network of Women Peacebuilders)• Strengthening Transitional Justice ThroughEngagement With Religious and Faith-BasedActors: An Assessment Toolkit (The Global
Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation)• Truth, Bread, and Tea: A Toolkit for Reintegrationof Women Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual
Violence and Children Born of War (The Global
Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation)• Goal 16 Advocacy Toolkit: A practical guidefor stakeholders for national-level advocacy
around peaceful, just, and inclusive societies(Transparency, Accountability & Participation(TAP) Network, United Nations)• We Are Here: An integrated approach toyouth-inclusive peace processes (A. Altiok & I.
Grizelj, 2019)• Women’s Participation in Peace Processes(Council on Foreign Relations)• Women, Peace & Security and Humanitarian
Action (WPS-HA) Compact (2021)• Working Group on Women, Peace and Security• 2019 Open Letter to Permanent
Representatives to the UN: Recommendations
on the Security Council Open Debate on
Women, Peace and Security (WPS) (Working
Group on Women, Peace and Security)

4. CLIMATE EMERGENCY
Climate change is felt on a local level (for example,
more or less rain leading to floods or drought) and at
the global level (rising global temperatures or risinglevels of rivers, lakes and seas). The short and longterm effects of climate change on the environment,
access to water and sanitation, agriculture andlivelihoods, and on social and gender relations is
becoming increasingly apparent. These changes
disproportionately affect girls and women, deepening
their vulnerabilities in societies across the world.
Women often rely on natural resources for theirincome and well-being and are responsible forhousehold water and fuel supply. Across manysocieties, women and girls often find themselvesconfronted with social and gender barriers that makeit impossible to access available resources to mitigate
the challenges and the negative effects of climatechange. Pre-existing, structural gender inequalities
mean that disasters affect women and girls in
different ways than they affect boys and men.81 This
also impacts preparedness, evacuation, response,
number of deaths and recovery.
Women, young women and girls are more likely to beat the forefront of disaster relief efforts, but are rarely
included in the design and planning of the strategies.
Increasing recognition of their value and contributions
to risk mitigation and preparedness during disasters
pave the way for women, young women and girls
to begin to claim greater agency and leadership in
community-based processes and decision-making,82
which furthers community resilience and advances
gender equality.83
You have the right to:• Learn how structural inequalities increase yourvulnerability to environmental crises.
• Benefit from strategies that lessen the impact ofclimate change on your environment.
• Be involved in preventing, adapting, and responding
to climate change and ecological crises.
• Access economic, political, and social support tocope with environmental changes.84• Participate in decision-making at all levels inregards to climate change. This can be achieved
81. CDP (Center for Disaster Philantropy). Women and Girls in Disasters.
disasterphilanthropy.org/resources/women-and-girls-in-disasters/
82. Plan International & Rapid ASIA (August, 2021). Study on Womenand Girls’ Participation in Community Disaster Risk Managementin Bangladesh. reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/
ICDRM Bangladesh Research Study_Final.pdf
83. CARE. Enhancing Resilience through Gender Equality. Learningfrom CARE’s Resilience Programming in the Asia-Pacific.
careclimatechange.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/enhancingresilience.pdf

71

84. Certain social groups are particularly vulnerable to crises, forexample, female-headed households, children, persons withdisabilities, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, landless tenants,
migrant workers, displaced persons, sexual and gender minorities,
older people, and other marginalized groups. The root causesof their vulnerability lie in a combination of their geographicallocations; their financial, socio-economic, cultural, and genderstatus; and their access to services, decision-making, and justice.
www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialsustainability

by accessing relevant information, conducting
consultations with responsible entities andactive involvement in all stages of decisionmaking including conceptualising, designing,and planning.85• Access resources and actions critical for risk
mitigation. The access elements include the rightto development and basic needs satisfaction. The
allocation issues include distribution of resources,
risks and burdens and the assignment ofresponsibilities that are important for addressing
the challenges of climate change.86• Demand for gender equality and participation ofgirls and women in climate change initiatives/
allocation of climate change resources. Girls andwomen’s local knowledge of and leadership in, forexample, sustainable resource management and/or leading sustainable practices at the household
and community level can play a critical role inmanaging the effects of climate change.87

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Think about what climate issues are mostprevalent in your community. What are someother rights you have that are related toclimate justice? Open a space for discussion
with participants to reflect collectively about
these questions.

LEARN MORE

• Standing with all women and girls at the heartof climate justice (OHCHR)• What do we know about the links between
girl’s education and climate and environmentchange? (AGEE)• The climate crisis is a gender crisis (Video
ACT Alliance)• Prepare to act! Practical tips for climate
advocacy and action (UNICEF)• Tools for young climate activists (UNICEF)

85. Technical Examination Process on Adaptation (TEP-A). Public
Participation in Climate Change Adaptation and Decision-Making
Processes. Policy Brief, August 2020. tep-a.org/wp-content/
uploads/2020/08/TEP-A-2020-Policy-Brief-Public-Participation-inClimate-Change-Adaptation-and-Decision-Making-Processes.pdf
86. Ivanova et al 2020. Climate Mitigation Policies and Actions:
Access and Allocation Issues. www.researchgate.net/
publication/341683721_Climate_mitigation_policies_and_actions_access_and_allocation_issues
87. United Nations Climate Change. Introduction to Gender and Climate
Change. unfccc.int/gender5. MENTAL HEALTH
In recent years, there has been an increased awarenessaround and acknowledgement of the important rolethat mental health plays in a person’s overall healthand happiness.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological,
and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, andact. It helps determine how we handle stress, relate toothers, and make choices. Mental health is important
at every life stage, from childhood and adolescencethrough adulthood. It is a fundamental aspect ofhealth and a social justice issue.88
Depending on the context, specific individuals andgroups may have a higher risk of experiencing mental
illnesses. Some risk factors could be biomedical (e.g.
traits we inherit from our families). However, there arealso environmental factors and social determinants
that increase the vulnerability of certain groups ofpeople (e.g. exposure to traumatic events, violence,
abuse or neglect, etc.).
You have the right to:• Access counselling and treatment for mental
health issues that ensure confidentiality, respectand empathy.
• Access mental health information, resources
and services, without discrimination, coercion,
exploitation, violence, judgement or stigma.
• Have time and opportunities for self care.
Self-care isn’t just about finding ways to relax.
It is about taking care of yourself mentally,physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
In order to care for your health and well-being, it
is important to find a balance that allows you toaddress each of these areas.89• Access mental healthcare in emergency situations.

88. World YWCA and Feminism in India (2020). A Young Woman’s
Toolkit for Advocacy on Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights andMental Health. Available at shespeaksworldywca.org/wp-content/
uploads/2020/06/YWCA-SRHR-and-mental-health-Toolkit.pdf

72

89. Elizabeth Scott, PhD (2022). 5 Self-Care Practices
for Every Area of Your Life. www.verywellmind.com/
self-care-strategies-overall-stress-reduction-3144729

SELF CARE CHECK

It is important to take care of ourselves before
we can support others. This is not selfish; this isnecessary to ensure that we do not burn out ordevelop / exacerbate mental health issues.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Think about what mental health issues aremost prevalent in your community. What aresome other rights you have that are related tomental health? Open a space for discussion
with participants to reflect collectively about
these questions. Printout 1.

LEARN MORE

• A Young Woman’s Toolkit For Advocacy on
SRHR & Mental Health (YWCA)• The State of the World’s Children 2021. On
My Mind: Promoting, protecting and caring forchildren’s mental health (UNICEF)• A Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy
Toolkit: A Resource To Drive Action To
Address Youth Mental Health (World
Economic Forum)• Helping Adolescents Thrive Toolkit (World
Health Organization and UNICEF)

6. SEXUAL AND GENDER
BASED VIOLENCE (SGBV)
Sexual and gender-based violence refers to any act
that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is basedon gender norms and unequal power relationships.
It includes physical, emotional or psychological andsexual violence, and denial of resources or accessto services.90
Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) is
preventable, yet it can have immediate and longterm physical, sexual, and mental consequences
including death. It manifests through sexual violence,
forced marriage, rape, female genital mutilations,verbal abuse and intimidation. The range and breathof SGBV differs with cultural variabilities. Violence
90. UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency). Sexual and gender based violence(SGBV) prevention and response. emergency.unhcr.org/entry/60283/
sexual-and-gender-based-violence-sgbv-prevention-and-responsecan lead to depression, post-traumatic stress, andother anxiety disorders negatively affecting womenand girls’ well-being. It also blocks women from fully
participating in society.
The social and economic impacts are enormousand span across families, communities, and society.
Poverty and displacement of populations caused bydiverse crises, from wars to flooding increases thevulnerabilities of girls and women to SGBV.
Protecting girls and women from psychologicalviolence is a key SDG target (5.2). There are multiple
international policy commitments including the
UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms ofDiscrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the
UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women, as well as multiple UN Human Rights Council
resolutions. At least 155 countries have passed laws
on domestic violence. However, challenges to enforce
these laws persist, limiting women, young women andgirls’ access to safety and justice.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Think about What are the most prevalent
forms of GBV in my community. How can girls
and women surviving SGBV seek help from inyour community? What are the avenues foraddressing SGBV in your community?

LEARN MORE

• Gender-based violence (UNFPA)• Identifying & Mitigating Gender-based
Violence Risks within the COVID-19 Response(Global Protection Cluster - GBV Prevention
and Response & IASC)• Working With Adolescent Girl GBV Survivors
On The Move (UNICEF LACRO)• Week without violence 2021
“Intergenerational Action for Gender-based
Violence: Co-creating the Future” (World
YWCA)• Fact sheet. Violence against women (WHO,March 2021)• Women’s human rights and gender-related
concerns in situations of conflict andinstability (United Nations Human Rights
Office of the High Commissioner, OHCHR)• UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violenceagainst Women (OHCHR)

You have the right to:• Be safe and live free from all forms of violence,
including SGBV, whether at home, school,
workplace, displacement camps, and all public
places.91• Access to the medical care and psychosocial
support you require, with trained staff, sufficient
supplies and equipment for the clinicalmanagement of rape.
• Access a safe house, shelter, or alternative
location if your safety is at risk
• Access legal advice and support• Access to justice• Participate in a fair trial• Have your privacy and confidentiality upheld

7. FAITH + FEMINISM
For many women, young women and girls, faithremains a safe space, and a pillar of strength and hopein the face of human rights violations, such as sexual,
physical, psychological and financial abuse.
The influence of patriarchy on many world religions,religious leaders, and religious communities is one of
the biggest challenges to faith-based engagement.92
Another major challenge is that sex, and sex-related
matters, are frequently taboo topics, making it difficult
to engage on the issue with religious leaders andreligious communities.
Most often people argue that faith and feminism do notwork together, but when COVID-19 hit, we saw a rise in73

91. People who experience gender violence suffer from different
human rights violations – for example the right to life, genderequality, the right to health, prohibition of discrimination on the
grounds of sex, protection of physical integrity, freedom from
torture and degrading treatment, freedom from discriminationand the right to safety and security. www.coe.int/en/web/
gender-matters/gender-based-violence-and-human-rights

92. Le Roux, E. 2019. Religion, development, and GBV: Suggestions
for a strategic research agenda. Research report. Washington DC:
Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities. www.
partner-religion-development.org/fileadmin/Dateien/Resources/
Knowledge_Center/JLI_PaRD_Research_agenda_Religion_
Development_and_GBV.pdf

the role that faith-based organisations played in provided
crucial support and resources at the community level.
. Faith-based organisations and communities playeda critical role in the humanitarian response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, and young feminist women offaith constituted an important part of it. They were at
the forefront of the crisis as health workers and primary
caregivers delivering services inspired in their principles
of solidarity and compassion. These young women set
examples of transformative leadership within theirfaith communities, even challenging the limited role
attributed to them.93 Engaging with supporting faithorganisations to respond to COVID-19 also helped toaddress other cross-cutting issues such as intimate
partner violence.

What can we do to encourage faith based leaders to
be involved in promoting young women’s rights:

This shows how the role of faith-based organisations
in delivering community services is shifting, inboth the development and humanitarian sectors.
In most remote places where government services
do not exist, faith-based organisations serve
the community. Services provided range fromeducation programmes (with schools, universities
and places of worship becoming places of learningand knowledge sharing), to health care services,
water and sanitation and traditional pastoral carefor the vulnerable and marginalised.94 Faith leaders,
including young women, and organisations can also
be involved in addressing issues at community level
through service delivery and through working with
their community youth groups and women’s groups.

4.

REMEMBER

Approaching faith institutions can be risky
in certain contexts. However, there are someresources that young women can access toknow who to work with. For example, there
are churches working through the WorldCouncil of Churches network. Also, the PacificConference of Churches provides a list of
churches where young women leaders, theirorganisations, communities and networks canidentify potential allies in each country.

93. Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs. Young Womenof Faith and Transformative Leadership in COVID-19 Response. An
Intergenerational Conversation. berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/
events/young-women-of-faith-and-transformative-leadership-incovid-19-response74

94. YWCA. Envisioning 2035 - 100 Million Women and Girls Shaping a
Just and Inclusive World www.worldywca.org/wp-content/uploads/
2020/11/Envisioning-2035-Final-Goal-and-Proposal_2015.pdf

1.

2.

3.

5.

6.

7.

Use faith institutions and groups as entry points
for addressing SGBV by positively engaging
with them through sensitization and learningespecially drawing on common tenets on equality
and service for the vulnerable in societies who
are discriminated against.
Work with faith leaders and organisations
to create avenues for supporting actions toeliminate all forms of violence against women
within their institutions including through theirsermons.
Engage with religious scholars on how to end
gender discrimination and stereotypes
Engage faith leaders and organisations to lead
conversations around peace-building to condemn
acts of abuse and violence and sound the alarmon media.
Work with faith leaders and organisations
through their services and programs being
delivered in the various communities where
there is non-existence of government services.
Work through with faith-based leadersand organisations on a cause that they are
passionate about, but also bring to theirattention how issues intersect and women,
young women and girls issues can be addressedin line with their cause.
Build accountability mechanisms within faithbased institutions to uphold the rights of women,
young women and girls.

FACILITATOR'S LENS

Take a moment to reflect if you, as a young
leader and facilitator, have engaged with faithbased organisations or faith communities. How
has this experience shaped your leadership
journey? Are there any lessons learned thatyou can share with the participants? If you have
not had these experiences yourself, invite otheryoung women from the group to share someof their stories and reflect on how a supportive
faith-based community looks like to them.

75

LEARN MORE

• Women, Faith and Human Rights (UNFPA)• Faiths and feminisms — can they bereconciled? (Op-ed by Susan Carland, 2021)• Faith and Feminism, a Holly Alliance (ByHellen LaKelly Hunt, 2004)• Affirming Women’s Human Rights. Resources
for Faith-Based organisations (The LutheranWorld Federation)• “It will not be so among you!” A Faith
Reflection on Gender and Power (The
Lutheran World Federation)• Faith and Feminism Podcast• Series of podcasts on intersectional feminism
and Christian Faith• Resources on Religion and Development(International Partnership on Religion andSustainable Development)

SECTION 3:
FACILITATOR’STOOLBOX76

You’ve built a really strong foundation of knowledge
about human rights, transformative leadership, key
issues, and skills to help you bring about the change
you want to see in your community and in the world.
Your brain is probably very full of information, and you
may be wondering how you’re going to translate it all
into a training. Don’t worry! We got you!

This section will include the following information:
a.

b.
c.

SELF CARE CHECK

Before we get into the process of planning foryour training, let’s check in with YOU. How’s
your energy level? Are you feeling energised andready to go? If so, let’s carry on! Are you feelinga little overwhelmed or have any worries? If so,
let’s take a break before you start this phase of
the process. What do you need in order to feel
confident with your planning? All feelings arewelcome and you are wonderful either way, so
please be honest with yourself!

This section is designed to support
you to take all of this informationand transform it into a training you
can conduct in your community
with other young women. We
will walk you through how toplan, implement, and evaluate a
training session with your peerson this content.

77

d.
e.
f.
g.

How to prepare for your training, including how
to define your audience, logistical considerations,reaching out to / engaging your participants,
planning your agenda
Facilitation tips
Icebreakers and energizers
Supplies + Materials
Additional Reference Documents
Evaluating your training
Worksheets, Activities + Printouts

GETTING STARTED
Before you start the training, here are some questions
you may want to ask yourself as a facilitator:
Is there any content in Sections 1 and 2 that I
don’t feel quite comfortable yet and requires a bit
further reading before I facilitate a training on it?
• Remember, you can start training on sections
you are comfortable with first, allowing othersections to be trained later, allowing you moretime to read and do research[ What sections do I want to include in my training?
• Be aware you don’t need to train on every
section. Select the sections you feel most
relevant or through consultation withparticipants[ Was I able to integrate self care into my learning
process? Will I be able to maintain that in thefacilitation process, for myself and the participants?
[ How was it to wear my Facilitator’s Lenses
throughout Sections 1 and 2? Do I feel like I wasable to think about the participants’ experience?
[ What are some of the things I would like theparticipants to walk away from the training
knowing and feeling? How can I support that tobecome a reality?
[ What are some things about myself as a
facilitator that I want to highlight? (What is mystyle? What are my values?)[ Does my content reflect the participants different
learning styles: visual (images, videos, etc),
audio (speaking notes for those who listen),reading and writing and action (activities)• Participants have different styles of learning.
Some learn through images; some throughlistening and speaking; some through reading
and writing; and others with activities.
[

78

Facilitation is all about helping the group do efficient,meaningful work. It’s about making sure everyonein the room gets heard, and making sure there’s
an actionable outcome every time a group comes
together. A good facilitator’s goal is to encourage
participants to think productively and ultimately toarticulate critical ideas, ask vital questions, uncovervariables, find solutions, and identify productive
actions. A skilled facilitator can supercharge a team’s
performance by eliminating the possible friction orlistlessness of group collaboration and providing ameaningful process for the team to follow.95

FACILITATOR'S LENS: one last time! :)Have you ever attended a workshop or group
activity that had a facilitator? What was
something you noticed about the facilitator?
Did she create a safe space? Were there things
that she was doing in her facilitation role thatmaybe wasn’t completely obvious but that
contributed to the success of the meeting?
Take a moment to reflect and write down 3things that really worked about her facilitation
skills or style.

95. www.workshopper.com/post/facilitation-skills

A. PREPARING FOR A TRAINING
The following checklists should help you prepare foryour session. With answers to these questions (or atleast an idea of how you’ll go about it), you’ll be in good
shape to facilitate your training. It is recommended
that you start preparing at least 6 weeks in advanceof the training date.

1. CONTEXTUALISING THISGUIDEWhen planning how to implement this Guide, it’s
important that you keep in mind all the different kindsof people and participants you will meet. You will needto ensure that the content is something that they are

comfortable with, topic wise, but also whether they areable to engage fully with the content. Specifically, in any
programme or training specifically for young womenand girls, their needs and choice matter. It is importantthat you try to engage them in as many decision points
as possible and to adapt the content as you go.
Also remember that following the COVID-19
pandemic, many meetings and training sessions may
no longer be in person. This may raise challenges
like access to mobile phones and the internet forsome participants. Adapting the Guide is importantto have an authentic, informed approach, and allows
the participants to feel a sense of belonging as they
explore and discover concepts, plan strategies andimplement change.

Checklist for adapting your Guide
Be prepared. Do your research. Know what issues are common in this community, and what resources will
be accessible by participants.
[ Take notes as you go through the Guide and develop a guidance note that includes your own adaptations
to help you navigate the version you develop.
[ Learn and adapt based on previous learning experiences.
[ Check if you or partner organisations already have training materials, activity guides or ice breaker
exercises available.
[ You may require translation, and the language used must be culturally sensitive.
[ Include indigenous and local knowledge and case studies in the Guide.
[ Consider whether you need support from a translator or expert trainer.
[ Check whether your work should be conducted in person or online.
[ Choose your venue/platform accordingly, and make sure it is convenient for all. For example, consider
your participants physical abilities to reach your venue or join your digital platform.
[ Ensure that the case studies, activities and supplementary materials used are representative of theirsociety and communities.
[ Don’t forget to include the most marginalised and/or under-represented participants.
[ Remember the tips for creating a safe space, to ensure everyone is able to wholly participate.
[ Bring in speakers from organisations and communities who will be able to adequately represent the issue
but also the perspectives of the participants.
[ Lead by example. Present yourself with humility, and practise respect for all.
[79

Other resources & toolkits• Toolkit: Young People as Advocates, The
International Planned Parenthood Federation(IPPF), 2011
• Toolkit: My Body My Rights: Sexual andReproductive Rights are Human Rights, Amnesty
International, 2015, London.
• Toolkit: Advocating for change for adolescents!
A Practical Toolkit for Young People to Advocate
for Improved Adolescent Health and Wellbeing,by The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn &Child Health (The Partnership) and Women
Deliver, 2018
• Youth Activist Toolkit, from Advocates for Youth,
2019.
• My Body, My Mind (YWCA)• Power to Womxn and Girls, A global advocacy
toolkit, for the Beijing+25 process and beyond,
Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF),
2020• General resources, reading and training material
at Beautiful Rising.
• United Nations Young Leaders Training
Programme

2. DEFINING YOUR AUDIENCE
Before you dig into the content of a training, ask
yourself the following questions about your potential
audience for the training:
What age group will be represented in the
training? (It is recommended that you selectparticipants who are in the age range of 18 to 30)[ What level of background knowledge will they
have on some of these issues?
[ How many young women will be selected for asession?
• When selecting, be mindful to plan also forwhen you don’t have the exact number ofparticipants you intended.
[80

Is it required to attend the entire session?
• Some participants may be working or
studying, so it will be helpful for them to havethis information.
[ Will they be able to do any pre-work (completinga survey, joining a call, sharing their story) before
the training session?
[ What information do I need to share withparticipants beforehand to make the space safefor them to engage from the beginning?
[ Will participants be able to come together inperson? (COVID restrictions? Transportation
challenges? etc) If not, will they be able toengage digitally?
[ If they will engage digitally, do they all haveaccess to computers? Privacy? Data / wifi?
[ When will the training take place? How will you
accommodate / plan for availability? Are timezones a consideration?
• Think about the best time for participants tofully engage[ Is everyone in the group going to be working inthe same language? Will there be a translator?
[ How can I ensure that I am proactively reachingout to girls / young women from marginalized
communities (e.g. girls living with HIV, migrant
girls, transgender girls, etc.) and who are
represent diverse abilities and ensuring their
meaningful participation?
• Will materials be offered in braille?
• Will there be a sign language interpreter?
• Will the space be accessible to anyone withmobility issues?
[ Are you able to access a culturally appropriate
venue that is welcoming in line with custom?
[ Will anyone have to gain permission / getsupport from a parent or caregiver to participate/ attend? Will this be a barrier for them?
[ Are there any local or national holidays you
should be aware of and plan around at the time of
the training?
[3. LOGISTICALCONSIDERATIONS[

Whether you facilitate the training in person or online,
here are some logistical considerations to prepare toplan around:
The 5 W’s: It’s time to think of the WHO, theWHAT, the WHERE, the WHEN, the WHY of yourtraining. Once you have all of this information
pulled together, you have everything you need todraft a logistics note for your participant. (Seebelow for more on logistics note)• WHO: This is your participant list
• WHAT: This is your goals / objectives for the
training, and eventually your agenda• WHEN: This is the date and time of yourtraining.
• WHERE: This is the location of your training.
• WHY: This is what you plan to accomplish in
the training.
[ Meeting space: Are you able to get a
conference room / meeting space donatedby a local NGO? Are you able to meet at a
community centre, church, or someone’s housethat is safe and accessible, and can be secured
at no cost?
[ Food / refreshments: If you’re going to bemeeting for more than a few hours, are you able
to provide food and drink for participants?
[ Co-facilitation / Note-taking: Will you have a
co-facilitator? Will you have someone to help
with taking notes / aid with filling in MEL tools /knowledge management?
[ Transportation: If participants have to travel are
you able to offer a stipend / reimbursement fordata / wifi expenses?
[ Data / wifi fees: If you’re holding your training
online, are you able to offer a stipend /reimbursement for data / wifi expenses?
[ Budget: If there is some cost, are you able toclearly identify and create a small budget? Do
you have funds? How and where to get funds?

LEARN MORE

What is a logistics note? This is a document
you prepare for your participants so that they
have everything they need to be prepared forthe training all in one document. Think of it
as a concept note for your training with all of
the logistical details included. see “Additional
Reference Documents” for more information
about how to draft a logistics note.

[81

Contact details: If someone has a question, who
can they reach? Include a phone number (andindicate if you’re available on different platforms)
and an email address.

4. ENGAGING YOURPARTICIPANTS
Once you’ve gotten clear about who is going to be in
the “room” (including the digital room, if the training
is online), it’s time to reach out to them.
Do you have a sense of the issues or topics thatmatter to the participants? A sense of the skill
level they will bring to the training? A sense of
their knowledge base?
• If not, are you able to send out a survey inadvance of the meeting? Or hold calls withparticipants?
[ Is there an easy way for you to get information
about the ideal time to hold the training according
to the participants? A Doodle poll or survey?
[ Do you have everyone’s contact details? This
includes their name, email address, and phone
number (at least).
[ What is the best platform to communicate withparticipants? Will you share information overemail? Create a Whatsapp group?
[ Are you able to provide an opportunity forparticipants to inform / give input into theagenda? If so, what is your process for gatheringthat feedback?
[[Are you planning to take photos?
• If you are planning to take photographs,
ensure you have participants’ consent andsave copies of these safely and securely.
Also it is important to clearly explain to theparticipants the reason for the consent form
and what their images may be used for. See“Additional Reference Documents” for more
information on how to draft a consent form.

After participants are engaged and confirmed, you’reready to think about the content of the workshop!

5. MAKING THE AGENDA
There is a lot of possible content to cover, so it isyour role as the facilitator to discern what will be thebest way forward for the specific participants you’re
working with at this time. It is ideal that you design
the agenda with the participants — either directly orafter consulting them through a survey or some sortof consultation tool / process — but sometimes it’s
helpful for you to draft it first and make sure you get
input before you finalise it.

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Some questions to ask first:
Will this training be online or in person?
[ If online, will participants be able to join forconsecutive days? Or should you plan for once aweek for a few weeks?
[ How deep will you be able to dive on the
different topics based on the skills / backgroundknowledge / priorities of the group? (This will
determine how much time you need to set aside
for each.
[ What is your ultimate goal of the training? (Forexample — Is it to plan a campaign? Is it simply
to share knowledge and skills? Is it to build
consensus among girls and young women inyour community about priorities so you can startworking together more long term?)[ What are some ways that the session can beinteractive, regardless of if it’s in-person or
online? This means building out spaces forcheck-ins between sessions, lots of icebreakers,
opportunities for participants to talk to one
another, etc. This way, participants are part ofthe space rather than just “listeners.”[

Depending on your answers, there are a few things tokeep in mind:• To facilitate an effective virtual session, hosting
between 6-12 participants is likely to be a good
limit in terms of the number of participants forengagement and conversation. Spreading thecontent out over a few days so that participants
aren’t in front of a screen for more than 4 hours
at a time will benefit everyone, as it will keep
participants from losing focus / getting too burntout on screen time.
• You’ll want to make sure that participants
have access to the technology they need
— computer or phone, user-friendly digitalplatform (Zoom, Google meet, etc), reliabledata or internet connection.
• To facilitate an effective in-person session,
hosting between 20 - 25 participants will
ensure that you’re able to provide individualised
content but also have enough people for group
work. This number will depend on whether or
not you have a co-facilitator, which is highly
recommended for a group this size.
• You’ll want to think about things like theset up of the room (do you need space fora panel discussion at the front of the room?
Space for translators? Space for break outgroups? Space for post-its on the walls?)
based on the nature of your agenda.
It will be up to you to determine how much time you
have for each session, each activity, and to achieve
your goals.
Tips for planning your agenda:• For in person training sessions:• Remember to build in a lot of extra time ineach session. It always takes longer than you
think. Sessions will run long, people may belate, and you’ll need to bring the group back
together after breaks.

83• Prioritise, prioritise, prioritise! Ask yourself,“If they take away three things only from theday, what would I want those three things tobe?” Then anchor your sessions around thosepriorities. It’s better to pare down the content
so that participants can absorb and reflect
than try to cram too much into each day.
• For virtual training sessions:• It will be most engaging for your participants
to have a combination of learning sessions
and interactive sessions (where they’reworking with others on the call). Try to
avoid long sessions of presentations, whichis hard given how much content there is tocover! You can get around this by giving lotsof opportunities for participants to go into
breakout groups and discuss some of the
topics together, and giving time for them toreport back to the group.
• Generally:• You’ll want to start each day reiterating yourcommunity agreements in order to set thetone for the day and remind the group aboutaccountability you’re creating in the space
together.
• At the beginning of each day, it can be
helpful as the facilitator to repeat backsome of the feedback (Anonymously) you
received in the closing session the day
before and identify areas where you’ve
made adaptations to the agenda based onthat feedback.
• The sessions in the middle of the day (latemorning, early afternoon, late afternoon)
will often be the ones where you lose
people’s energy and attention if there isn’ttime for energizers and breaks. Be sure toprioritise this space in the middle of theday, and manage your own expectations(and participants!) about what you canachieve in one day.
• Don’t underestimate the power of a goodclosing session. Participants will be tired,
but this is the chance for them to walkaway from the day feeling positive and likethey’ve learned a lot, even if they are feelingoverwhelmed by information. Plan to protect
the closing session and leave 30 minutes foreveryone to give feedback. This feedback canalso help you make adjustments before thesession the next day.
Here is a sample three-day training agenda, assumingthat there are 20 participants and two facilitators. ThisDay 1: INTROMORNING SESSIONBREAK
MORNING SESSION

is just a sample, and is not meant to be prescriptive;
however, you can design your own training using thisformat as a baseline or adjust as you feel needed.
When preparing for lessons it’s also good to agreewith your co-facilitator who will lead or support andhow on each session.
See “Worksheets, Activities + Printouts” for a blankagenda template.

Day 2: SKILLSMORNING SESSIONBREAK
MORNING SESSION

Day 3: ISSUESMORNING SESSIONBREAK
MORNING SESSION

LUNCH

LUNCH

LUNCH

AFTERNOON SESSION 1

AFTERNOON SESSION 1

AFTERNOON SESSION 1

BREAK

BREAK

BREAK

AFTERNOON SESSION 2

AFTERNOON SESSION 2

AFTERNOON SESSION 2

CLOSING / REFLECTION

CLOSING / REFLECTION

CLOSING / REFLECTION

B. FACILITATION TIPS
The role of facilitator is crucial, and the skills required
to be a facilitator take time to build. There may be
aspects of facilitation that play on your natural skills
as a leader, but don’t feel like you need to be perfect tobe effective. Remember, this is your learning journey
too! So building this skill will only strengthen youreffectiveness as a transformative leader.
Overall, try to relieve yourself of the pressure of the ,and think of yourself as a peer learning alongside theparticipants. You’re creating containers for meaningfulconversations to happen, and don’t need to solve all
problems or have all the answers.

Here are a few additional resources on facilitating
workshops that may give you some guidance on how
to run a workshop:• 8 Essential Skills of an Effective Facilitator (andHow to Improve Them!)• Introvert friendly facilitation tips
• How To Be A Great Facilitator - The 8 Facilitation
Skills You Need (With Tips To Improve Them)• Top 11 Skills of an Effective Facilitator• Facilitation skills: How to be a good facilitator(Cornerstone Dynamics)• The Role of a Facilitator: Guiding an Event
Through to a Successful Conclusion (Mind Tools)

Here are some qualities that make a good facilitator!96
A note about these resources: a lot of facilitators
do their work with organisations or companies in a
professional setting. Adapt these tips accordingly toyour role in the community and your audience, andtake what’s helpful!

4. STRUCTURED

Has a natural gift for providing
structure for discussion

3. LISTENS

Practices good
listening habits

5. FEARLESS

Questions to challenge thinking
and create new possibilities

6. PROACTIVE

Is not reactive in groups

7. FLEXIBLE

Is not too rigid to allow fornecessary conversation

8. CONNECTS
2. SAFE

Skill to create
and maintaina safe environment

1. UNBIASED

Ability to stimulateinteraction without bias

Can connect withthe group

9. TIMELYWill hold the groupaccountable to the clock

10. SOCIAL

Has a high level ofsocial intelligence

96. www.rhythmsystems.com/blog/
top-10-qualities-of-a-good-planning-facilitator

85

C. ICEBREAKERS + ENERGIZERS
As you go throughout the day, you’ll want toremember that you’re working with human beings andnot robots! Therefore there will need to be bio breaks
and energizers incorporated into the day so thatparticipants can get their blood flowing. Additionally,
there will be moments where you want participants to
get to know each other, build trust and safety together
and start to feel comfortable opening up to the group.
Here are some options for energizers and icebreakers.
• Best workshop energizers (Workshopper)• Icebreakers• For in-person meetings:• 35 Fun Meeting Icebreakers to Warm Up
Any Meeting• 15 Seriously Fun Meeting Ice Breakers: Gamesand Question• 25 Fun Icebreaker Games for Meetings• ​​70 Fun (Not Cheesy) Ice Breaker Games &Activities86• 36 Ridiculously Fun Icebreaker Ideas, Games,& Activities In 2022 For Your Next Meeting• For virtual meetings:• Zoom Icebreakers: 55 Pro Tips for 2022
• 32 Fun Zoom Icebreakers You Should
Definitely Try In 2022
• 31 Fun Zoom Icebreakers To Get The Ball
Rolling For Any Online Work Meeting In 2022
Many of these icebreaker activities and energizers arefor professional settings, so you are encouraged toadapt for your training with young women or create
your own.

D. SUPPLIES + MATERIALSAs you’re getting ready for your training, here’s a
shopping list of all the materials you’ll need if you’replanning to implement all activities. Remember to
get enough for the number of participants you’re
expecting to have.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

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Computer
Projector
Internet connection
Flip chart or board
Markers or crayons
Paper sheets or notebooks
Pens or pencils
Flashcards or Post-its
Handouts of Diagram 2: Intersecting identities
Handouts of the quiz ‘What kind of digital citizen
are you?’
Handouts of the sample risk assessment
Handouts of the Advocacy Case
Photocopies of the 5 scenarios for the activity on
mental healthHandouts of the tree graphic from Problem Tree
Analysis activity

If you’re only planning to use a few activities, thematerials are noted in each activity so you can draw
from those directly as you prepare.

E. ADDITIONAL REFERENCE
DOCUMENTS + TEMPLATESAs you plan for and prepare your agenda, there may
be reference documents or additional resources youneed to support your training.
This may include:• Attendance sheet• Consent form
• Logistics note
Below you’ll either find a description for how to draft it
yourself and the sort of information you’ll need.

Attendance SheetThis can be as simple as just a piece of paper witha grid on it where participants can sign in each day.
You’ll want to ask for their name, their email or phone
number (however you stay in touch with them),
and anything else you need to know each day as
participants come to the table.

Consent Form
Consent forms are a tool to make sure you and yourparticipants are aligned with expectations for what
their participation will look like during the days ofyour training. You’ll want to start with a sentence of
two describing the worksheet, so they know what
they’re participating in at the time of the consent form
signing. Your consent form may include some of thefollowing language:• Voluntary participation:
For example — I understand that my participation
is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any
time, without giving a reason and without cost. I

88

voluntarily agree to take part in this study.
• Transparency:
For example — I understand that I will be given a
copy of this consent form.
• Photo release: For example — I give permission
for any photos of me to be used expressly forreporting purposes.
If you’re not going to be taking any photos, you don’t
need a media release. But it is something you may
want to raise during the Community Agreements
section, so that all participants are clear about where
the photos they are taking of each other are ending up,
for example, on social media.

Logistics note
When you’re reaching out to participants, you wantto make sure they have all confirmed information in
one place. A logistics note will include all of the basic
details about the event (where, when, etc), as wellas anything that a participant will need during theirtime with you. Are participants staying overnight at
a hotel? Make a note of where they are staying andhow many nights, and mention that a credit card mayneed to be provided for incidentals (or whatever hotel
check in and check out policies are relevant for theirtime at the hotel). Are they receiving stipends forper diems, transport, etc.? Spell out the terms of any
reimbursement procedures (are receipts required?),and explain what costs will be covered as a part oftheir participation.
This document should be accurate, concise, and clear.
Make sure that you include contact details for anyone
that participants can reach out to if they have any
problems, questions, etc.

F. EVALUATING YOUR TRAINING +STAYING CONNECTED
In order to know if the training session you’re leadingis helpful to the participants, you’ll need to establish
a baseline understanding of the participants’ needs
and knowledge base. What sort of understandingof the issues are they coming into the session with,and how has your session expanded their capacity asa transformative leader? What skills do they alreadyhave? To truly capture the impact of your training,
you’ll need to conduct a brief needs assessment. Thiscan also be called a pre-training assessment, pre-test,
or baseline survey that you create for participants atleast a week in advance of the first session.
The information you need will also aid the training
plan itself and can help you create the agenda andmaterials. As mentioned beforehand, this Guideis adaptable and allows you to deliver in smallerparts rather than as a whole. Therefore, having thisinformation from your pre-assessment survey will
help you better identify their needs and tailor thecontent from this Guide to plan and deliver a trainingthat meets their needs, realities, and context.
During the training there are some interactive
activities which you can also use to help you see if
the participants understand what you have shared likeRole Plays, Body Mapping, and Group or Individual
Presentations are a good example.
After the session, post-training assessment tools
should be administered to see what knowledge, skills,
and experience has been gained from the session.
You will also get valuable information as a facilitator
about what you can change (including aspects of yourstyle!) for next time. Additionally, you’ll know more
about what content to change, the key takeaways
from participants, and how participants plan to use
the training afterwards.

89

Most importantly, evaluation measures impact overtime as you work with this Guide, and various tools canbe used to track and monitor the aggregate progressof participants as a result of sessions and beyond.
Evaluating your training helps provide you with anunderstanding of what is working and what requires
improvement and can be assessed using another tool,
Training Evaluation, which is filled out by participants.
Results of this evaluation should inform future workand help you improve your facilitation skills and futureplanning and delivery where it is needed. Facilitation isa skill that is strengthened over time and from carefulassessment and evaluation.

Pre-training assessment tool
You will draft the pre-training assessment tool basedon the topics you’re choosing to include in youragenda. For example, if you’re focusing on advocacy
training, it is recommended that you read the advocacy
section closely and key aspects that you’re going to
be covering in your training. You can ask questions
about their levels of knowledge, experiences with anyof the aspects of the materials, or skills they may havecoming into the training.

Sample questions:• On a scale of 1-5, what is your familiarity withcampaigning?
• Yes / No - are you familiar with a SWOT
Analysis?
• On a scale of 1-5, what is your familiarity with
SMART objectives?

You are asking questions based on material you will
cover, and then you will ask them again in the posttraining assessment tool in order to determine anincrease in knowledge or skills.
In addition to assessing skills and knowledge, you
could also ask open-ended, qualitative questions
like, “What are you most looking forward to in thistraining?” You could use a simple survey tool like
Survey Monkey or Google Form, or even use a polling
function on Facebook or Instagram, or throughwhatsapp. It’s a chance for you to start to get toknow your participants, so however you start to buildthat community is up to you! You would share theassessment tool in whatever communication channel
is working for the group.

Post-training assessment tool
After the training, not only are you going to want toknow if participants gained knowledge and skills but
also what their experience was like with you as theirfacilitator and how they felt about the training as awhole.
You may have an assessment section that mirrors
the pre-training assessment, so that you can assessincreases in knowledge and skills. Additionally, you’regoing to want to know their thoughts about thedelivery of the materials (or, your facilitation) and thecontent itself.
Rise Up! has a training evaluation form that could
serve as a template for your post-training assessment
tool.

Staying Connected
Keeping momentum and staying in touch withparticipants is a really important step in thecommunity-building aspect of your transformative
leadership journey. You can stay connected in a variety
of ways and work with participants to determine thebest approach and method for the moving forward.

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The following are a few suggestions for staying
connected:
Set up a group communication via email and instantmessage applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook
messenger or through World YWCA platforms
Agree to regular huddles, online or in person
Attend YWCA events and stay up to date with local,
national and global YWCA work and updates.
It is also crucial to encourage organic connection
between participants, and suggest that they share
progress and updates following the training on a regularbasis. Sharing a safe space together and undergoing thetraining creates a network of transformative leaders
who are there to support one another. This ongoingsafe space can be co-led by participants themselves
and supporting organisations. These organisations
can play a key facilitation role for these connections
by hosting alumni events, intergenerational leadershipdialogues, and safe spaces, as well as support
advocacy campaigns and activities.
If there is interest, it is recommended that someone in
the group volunteer to host casual follow up meetings
with the participants to understand the impact of the
training, further needs around any skills or knowledge,
and space to promote new effective practices. These
kinds of meetings will also provide an opportunity
to share obstacles or challenges that participants
have encountered while implementing the learnings
from training. It will be helpful for organisers
and / or facilitators to develop strategies to address
those challenges as well on an ongoing basis.

G. WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIES +PRINTOUTSThis section outlines a set of activities that will
underscore / reinforce / provide opportunities topractice some of the content that was presented

in Section 2. As you look at each of the options for
activities, it will be up to you to choose which activities
will fit your training the best in your context.

ACTIVITY 1 - Intersectionality
Suggested time
• 60 minutes

Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Computer
Projector
Internet connection
Flip chart or board
Markers
Flashcards / Post-its
Handouts of Diagram 2: Intersecting identities

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Watch the video on Intersectionality 101 included in this section with the group. If internet connection,
computer or projector are not available, narrate the three examples / stories presented in the video toexplain what intersectionality is.
2. Distribute the flashcards / post-its among participants.
3. Then ask participants to look at Diagram 2 and reflect on their own intersecting identities.
4. Ask them to use the flashcards or post-its to write down a brief sentence or idea to describe what
identities have resulted in experiences of oppression and what identities have resulted in experiences ofprivilege.
5. Participants can use more than one flashcard / post-it to share different ideas.
6. Collect the flashcards and then paste them on the wall or board, differentiating the ones that talk about
experiences of oppression and those that refer to experiences of privilege.
7. Read out loud the ideas shared by the group.
8. Finally, encourage a group discussion to respond to the following question:• Why is intersectionality an important tool for the transformative leadership journey of young women.
9. Write down the ideas shared by the group on the flip chart or board.
Note for adapting this activity if facilitated online: We suggest you look at tools such as Miro (digital
whiteboard for meetings and workshops) to conduct this activity. Alternatively, ask participants toshare their ideas on the chat or virtual forum of the platform where you are facilitating the training. Be
mindful that some participants might not want to openly share their answers. Provide an opportunity forparticipants to send their ideas to you only (through private messages on the platform, email or whatsapp)so that you can share with the group ensuring confidentiality.

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ACTIVITY 2 - Transformative Leadership Journey
Suggested time

• 35 - 45 minutes

Materials (if facilitated in person):• Flipchart paper• Markers / colors / crayons

INSTRUCTIONS

Invite participants to start a conversation on where being a leader as a young woman can take them. Askeach participant to reflect on where she sees herself in her leadership journey. Use the circle diagram that
illustrates the transformative leadership journey as a reference.
Here is a suggested list of questions to open up the dialogue. Remember that you can adapt them
depending on the context and the audience you are working with.
• At what point of your leadership journey are you?
• Do you feel that you know your human rights? And if so, do you feel prepared and ready to talk about
and claim those rights? Why or why not?
• Do you have the support you need to tackle the problems that affect you or your community? Whatwould you need to help you strengthen your leadership (from your family, community, school,
government, etc.)?
• Do you know who can help solve local or national problems?
• Are there people in positions of power who can potentially collaborate with you or support youradvocacy? Who are these people?
• Are there opportunities to share your leadership experience with other young women in yourcommunity? How would you do it?
• How can you make sure that the changes you want to see are sustainable, meaning that they are long
lasting and will affect more than yourself?
Ask participants to draw how their leadership journey looks based on their reflections and answers tothese questions. Encourage them to be creative and have fun.
Share Leadership Journey drawings so that everyone can see them. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable
sharing with the rest of the group that is fine. Ask for volunteers in the group to talk about theirtransformative journey map.
Close this activity with a group discussion based on the journeys shared by the participants. Are there
similarities? What new ideas emerged? Are there opportunities for collaboration with other young womenfrom the group? How did I feel listening to the stories of other young women?
Note for adapting this activity if facilitated online: Ask participants to draw their leadership journey ona piece of paper, notebook or cardboard, using materials they already have. Or ask them to do a collage.
If they are comfortable sharing, allow them to share their screen to show their drawing / collage andparticipate in the group discussion. Alternatively, you can ask them to take a photo and send it to youremail or phone. You can then share the drawing with the rest of the group.

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ACTIVITY 3 - Common Agreement
Suggested time
• 80 minutes

Materials• Flipchart paper and pens

Each time participants come together at the beginning of the day or the session, remind each other of
the Common Agreement that you will create together. The key message behind this activity is to haveparticipants establish a respectful dynamic where they are able to trust each other. They will also set a
common understanding of what privacy and confidentiality means. This activity is to help participants
recognise that treating each other with respect and kindness is important to be a transformative leader.
				
Purpose: Participants will identify rules and respect, based on their own preferences.

INSTRUCTIONS (this activity has 3 parts to it)• Part 1: What does respect mean to you? (30 min)
• Part 2: Coming to a common agreement (30 min)
• Part 3: Closing circle (20 min)Part 1: What does respect mean to you? 		
				Participants should reflect individually on what respect and trust mean to them. They should write what
they need to feel comfortable and safe. Questions for them to consider:• What does respect mean to you?
• What do you need to feel comfortable?
• What do you need in this space, so everyone feels free to participate?
• How did you feel doing the activity?
					Participants should write as many things as they think are important, and encourage them to be as specificas they can.
Part 2: Coming to a common agreement.
Explain to the participants what ground rules could mean for setting a Safe Space. Ask each participant towrite down rules that they would like everyone to follow. Allow participants time for reflection. Facilitators
may also suggest rules. Some suggestions for ground rules:• Listening is key• Respect different opinions and ideas;• Do not judge anyone;• Help each other;• Have funPart 3: Closing circle
Participants come together and discuss the rules suggested by each. Allow participants time for reflection
and discussion, to ensure that all participants agree before it is added to the list. Write all the acceptedrules and display it where everyone can see it. These are your Common Agreements.

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WORKSHEET 1 - Digital Citizenship Quiz
Suggested time
• 20 minutes

Materials:• Printouts of the quiz
• Pens

1. Do you believe all the information you see on the internet?
A. No! I always cross check that it is true.
B. I don’t really think about whether the information is true or not.
C. I believe whatever I see online.
2. Are you interested in discovering new apps or learning about new technology?
A. Yes, I love learning and understanding about this.
B. I’m sometimes interested in this, but not always.
C. I’m not at all interested in this.
3. Are you nice and polite to people online?
A. Yes, I always think carefully about what I am writing or posting online.
B. I think I am mostly polite, but I don’t always think before I write.
C. I don’t care much about what I write or post online.
4. Do you know how to stay safe online?
A. Yes, I am very careful about ensuring my privacy, checking my settings and changing my passwords.
things like my privacy settings and passwords.
B. I think I am safe but I usually forget to check my privacy settings.
C. I don’t think anything would ever happen to me, so I’m not worried.
5. Do you think carefully before you post or share a photo?
A. Yes, I always consider ‘Would I be happy to see this photo?’ if yes, then I’ll share it.
B. I don’t always stop to think.
C. I don’t care what people may think.
6. Do you think carefully before you post or share a photo of others, like your friends or family members?
A. Yes, I always consider ‘Would they be happy to see this photo?’ if yes, then I’ll share it.
B. I don’t always stop to think.
C. I don’t care what people may think about them.
7. Are you aware of your country’s laws for online conduct?
A. Yes. I am very careful not to violate any laws. I never download files illegally or copy other people’s work.
B. I don’t know much but I don’t download files illegally or copy other people’s work.
C. I don’t know if my country has laws/what the laws are.
Mostly As
Congratulations! You use technology in a safe and sensible way. You’re an upstanding digital citizen!
Mostly Bs
You could do better! Try to think carefully when you are online.
Mostly Cs
There’s more to learn to make sure you’re safe and building a meaningful digital identity.
* Adapted from British Council

94

WORKSHEET 2 - Situation Analysis
Suggested time
• 60 minutes

Materials• Pens• Paper

There are multiple factors that affect the lives of girls and young women. These factors could be anythingfrom social or political, location where they live (e.g. rural or urban), various laws that affect them or are
biased against their wellbeing, or even the quality of implementation of different programs and policies
that may affect their lives and health.
A situation analysis is an assessment of any issue at the local, national and international level. A complete
situation analysis will help understand the origin of a problem, how important or crucial an issue may be,create a strong evidence base for advocacy as well as understand potential resources and allies available.
Note for facilitator: You can use the problem tree from Printout 2 to accurately identify your problem and use
it for the activity chart below. You can print out Printout 2 for participants to complete together.
SITUATION ANALYSIS CHART
Issue

Data and source(Local)Data and source(National)

Data and source(Global)Notes

The Situational Analysis Chart helps in narrowing down relevant national policies, leading to an exercise inpolicy assessment.
NATIONAL POLICY AND STRATEGY ASSESSMENT
Laws and policy
frameworks

Do they exist?

List the policy source

Are they being enforced?

Policies listed above need to be mapped and assessed, following which you need to identify global
commitments which are relevant to your issue.

95

ACTIVITY 4 - Power Mapping Allies and Influencers
Suggested time
• 60 minutes

Materials:• Flip charts• PensPurpose: to identify the various allies who will influence your advocacy work in different ways.

INSTRUCTIONSBegin with identifying your influencers. Ask the group questions which will help them identify the following:• The people who can make a decision that can help you achieve your goal. Name them, and their role.
• Are there any other organised stakeholders, for example non-profits or groups or institutions or
individuals you need to consider? Name them and their role.
• Are there any important stakeholders directly affected here (eg young girls in x city, who may or may
not be organised)• Is there anyone who would directly attack or oppose your work?
Once the group has answered these questions and identified their key influencers, use the following
diagram to now place your influencers. Each name should be organised based on:• How much influence they have over the decision• Whether or not they will support your goal
This exercise should ideally help you understand each influencer. This will help you identify connections
and possible ways to engage with, and influence these important influencers.

Most influential
or powerful(in terms of yourobjective)

Strongly oppose
your objective
or position

Strongly support
your objective or
position

Least influential
or powerful(in terms of yourobjective)* Adapted from Guide to Power Mapping and Analysis, Anita Tang

96

ACTIVITY 5 - SMART Objective
Suggested time
• 60 minutes

Materials• Flip charts• PensFacilitator Notes: refer to the problem tree from Printout 1. Look carefully at the RESULTS listed. What are
the objectives you can use to get to those results? (remember not to set too many objectives!)
Now, check if your objective is SMART.
Specific:• Is your ask specific?
• Does the objective have a clear outcome?
• Is there a specific time frame?
• Do you know the decision-makers who can help you achieve change?
Measurable:• Will you know whether there has been the desired change?
• Can you collect information and evidence to track progress regularly?
Achievable:• Can this be achieved in the timeframe you have decided?
• What are the potential challenges and limitations that may come up?
Relevant:
Is the desired change you want to achieve significant and relevant to many people?
Timely:• When will you achieve the desired change?
• Can this be achieved in the time frame you have decided?

97

ACTIVITY 6 - Assessing Advocacy Activities
Suggested time

Materials:• 60 minutes• Flip charts• PensINSTRUCTIONS

Use the first 30 minutes of the activity time to review activities and tactics undertaken and assess whether
they have been successful, and what you could do better. An example is included below.
Advocacy activity
Example:You organiseda social media
campaign

What worked
The campaign
did very well on
Instagram.

The evidence

What didn’t work

Changes to improveadvocacy

Many people shared Nearly no interest
and engaged with the or engagement on
posts and stories on Twitter.
the Instagram page.

• Either focus thecampaign only on
instagram, where
we obviously havebetter engagement.
• Identify potential
volunteers
to increase
engagement at ourTwitter handle.

Once you are done listing and assessing all your activities and tactics, discuss the following questions as
a group:• Is there anything we should STOP?
The group should discuss what didn’t work, and should be discontinued.
• Is there anything we should CONTINUE?
The group should discuss what worked and should be continued.
• Is there anything we should START?
The group should discuss what changes are required to achieve your objectives.
• What did you have doubts about? What made you feel confident?
* Adapted from Advocating for change for adolescents! A Practical Toolkit for Young People to Advocate
for Improved Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017 (WHO/FWC/
NMC/17.2). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

98

ACTIVITY 7 - Discussing Diversity: Thought Starter
Suggested time
• 30 minutes

Materials• Paper or notepads• PensPart 1: Present the following questions to the group. Allow them 10 mins to think and write.
Questions:• What do you understand about the word diversity?
• What do you think of when you hear the word diversity?
• Have you ever felt out of place, or awkward in a group? How did this make you feel? What did you do?
Part 2: Divide participants into randomly selected groups, and allow them to share their answers (if theywant to) and discuss for 10 mins.
Part 3: One person from each group can share highlights of their discussion.
This activity helps participants build trust with each other as you move through the rest of this segment.

ACTIVITY 8 - Discussion Time!
Suggested time
• 30 minutes

Materials• Paper or notepads• PensPart 1: put participants in randomly selected groups. Present them with the following question to discusswith their group. Allow them 20 mins to think and discuss.
How can I personally change myself and my actions to be more inclusive?
Participants regroup and a person from each group can present the highlights from their discussion to thewider group.
In closing, remind all the participants that when you leave this space, you want to always remind yourself
that our society and communities are made up of many, many different people. We hope to always be
welcoming and inclusive of anyone who may want to learn from or support your work.

99

WORKSHEET 3 - Risk Assessment
Suggested time
• 90 minutes

Materials:• Pens, pencils• Handouts of the sample risk assessment• Handouts of the Advocacy Case

ADVOCACY CASE
Maria, aged 15, joins a leadership training at the YWCA and learns about her rights to Health and Educationand the right to marry when and who she wishes.
Maria gets pregnant and her teacher tells her to leave school and to not come back. She knows the teacher iswrong and cannot block her from going to school. She wants to do something but is not sure what to do.
Maria knows of a few other girls who left school because they were pregnant, some were even forced tomarry. Maria reaches out to a local organisation that supports girls’ education and talks to the other girls.
They collect information about the national education laws that support ALL children to go to school andthey collect stories from out-of-school children which they plan to share with the school Director.
Maria and the out-of-school girls, along with a representative from the local organisation and a supportiveparent meet with the school Director. They explain that every child has a right to go to school. They share theirstories and ask that all pregnant girls who left school be brought back so they can all finish their schooling.
Maria wants other girls to know that they too can stand up for their right to go to school. She decides toreach out to other girls in her community to share her story and inspire them to stand up for themselves andstudy, no matter what.

What is (are) the challenge(s)?

Who is the opposition?

Who are the potential allies?

What strategies can Maria and her allies put in place to address the challenges?

INSTRUCTIONS• Divide participants into 3-4 groups.
• Give out handouts of the sample risk assessment and advocacy case to each group.
• Ask the groups to read Maria’s story and advocacy plan to raise awareness on the rights of girls, including
the right to education, in her community.
• Then ask each group to conduct their risk assessment using the sample provided.
• Give the groups 45 minutes to complete this exercise.
• Then ask participants to regroup and share their conclusions:• Are there hazards or risks that were not considered?
• What similarities and differences did you identify?
* Adapted from Youth Work Essentials www.youthworkessentials.org/safe-sound/health-and-safety/riskassessment-the-framework.aspx

100PRINTOUT 1: Mental Health Scenarios

Suggested time
• 60 minutes

Materials (if facilitated in person):• Photocopies of the 5 scenarios

INSTRUCTIONS

Self care considerations: Be mindful that this activity may present examples and open discussions
that can trigger past trauma among participants. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable engaging in theactivity, allow this young woman (women) to take a break and come back to the session when you finish
facilitating this activity.
Divide participants into 5 groups. Each group will discuss one of the following scenarios to answer thesequestions:• What mental health issue is each scenario about?
• Are there any interconnected issues?
• Was this scenario respectful of these young women’s mental health? Why?
• Would you do something differently in each scenario?
Scenarios:
1. Namitha wants to end an unwanted pregnancy. She goes to a clinic and the doctor tells her that sheneeds to think about it and come back the next week. She also gives her a pamphlet about women who
got depressed after an abortion.
2. Nguyet is at her annual health check. The doctor starts asking about her sexual health, and asks
questions like: “Are you sexually active?” “Are you having sex with men and/or women?” “How do you
protect yourself from STIs or unwanted pregnancies?” “Do you have any questions on how to protect
yourself better?” Nguyet asks questions, and the doctor answers them. She leaves the clinic with somecondoms and informative pamphlets.
3. After political unrest in Bemidele’s country, she and her family had to move to a refugee camp. One
morning when Bemidele is out for a walk, she is assaulted by a man. Her friend helps her go to thepolice and receive medical care.
4. Because of a drought in her community, Maria and her family move. After relocating, Maria finds a job.
She puts her earnings in a bank account until she saves enough money for the computer classes thatwill help her get a promotion.
5. Dede is a young woman advocate for SRHR in Ghana. During the COVID lockdown, she was feelinglonely and burnt out. She finds an online counselling service. During her sessions, Dede’s therapist also
screens her for any violence and abuse that may be happening in her home.

PRINTOUT 2 - Problem Tree

Consequencesof the problem

Core problem

Underlying causesof the problem

WORKSHEET 4 - Training Evaluation Form
Dear Leaders,Thank you for successfully completing all the modules of the Riseup! Leadership Training Manual. As partof our own learning process at World YWCA, we request you to please take a few minutes to complete
this feedback form. Your inputs and suggestions will help us understand what is working and what requires
improvement in terms of content, planning and delivery of the modules.
Thank you for your time and we hope you are enjoying learning with us as much as we are enjoying
learning from your collective experiences and insights.
The information you share will be strictly kept confidential and used only for internal research andevaluation purposes by the (add name of organisation).

OVERALL TRAINING EXPERIENCE
INSTRUCTIONS

Please rate the following based on how closely they match your feeling (5 is top score, 1 is least score):• How would you rate your overall experience of the training?
5. Excellent 4. Very good 3. Good 2. Not so good 1. Not at all good
• To what extent did the training keep you engaged, interested and was oriented towards self-reflection as
well as peer-to-peer learning?
5. Highly engaged 4. Engaged 3. Average 2. Not so much 1. Not at all• At the end of each unit, how clear were you about what you learnt and how well can you apply it toyour context?
5. Highly clear 4. Clear 3. Average 2. Not so much 1. Not at all clear• How did you find your facilitators in terms of their style of delivery and attitude?
5. Excellent 4. Very good 3. Good 2. Not so good 1. Not at all good
• How timely and well prepared was your facilitator in clarifying your doubts during the various sessions?
5. Excellent 4. Very good 3. Good 2. Not so good 1. Not at all good

TRAINING DELIVERYINSTRUCTIONS

Please tick against the following based on how closely they match your feeling (tick any one)

∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙
∙ ∙ ∙
∙∙
∙ ∙

• Did the training provide enough space for you to interact with your peers in participatory ways?
yessomewhatno• Did the training provide enough space for you to clarify doubts/ask questions?
yes
somewhatno• Did the training provide enough time for self-reflection?
yes
somewhatno• Were your questions/queries answered satisfactorily?
yessomewhatno• Did the training have sufficient breaks and time for rest?
yes
somewhatno• Would you say your overall training experience was :Participatory
Inclusive
Generated peer-learning
Reflective
All of the above
None of the above Any other ____________________________________________________________________

103

∙

∙

WORKSHEET 4 - Training Evaluation Form (continued)
MANUAL CONTENT & RESOURCES
INSTRUCTIONS

Please rate the following based on how closely they match your feeling (5 is top score, 1 is least score).
Questions 6 to 9 are qualitative so kindly provide descriptive responses• Would you say the instructions under Section 1 ‘Getting Started’ of the Manual were clear, succinct andeasy to understand?
5. Very clear 4. Clear 3. Average 2. Not so clear 1. Not at all clear• How helpful did you find the learning resources under Section 2?
5. Excellent 4. Very good 3. Good 2. Average 1. Not so good
• How helpful did you find the Facilitator’s Toolbox under Section 3?
5. Excellent 4. Very good 3. Good 2. Average 1. Not so good
• How did you find the activities/exercises under the various sections in the manual?
5. Excellent 4. Very good 3. Good 2. Average 1. Not so good∙∙∙

• What type of resources did you find most helpful? (tick multiple if applicable)
Reading Materials (papers, articles, handouts, case studies etc.)
Icebreakers / energizers
Videos and Films
Templates / worksheets
Other

∙

∙

• Are the manual sections sufficiently well-paced and have enough information? If yes, why do you say so?
If not, what can be added? Kindly elaborate• Do you feel there is any particular section/activity/tool that you are unable to follow and needs to bechanged/modified. KIndly elaborate.

• How do you think the manual can be strengthened? What in your view are the gaps in terms of content,pedagogical tools, facilitators and other ideas?

• Any other suggestions or comments?

104

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The RiseUp! Guide is a clear example of what is possible through the power of collaboration andco-creation based on feminist principles and research methodologies. This work was not easy
— spanning several months of sessions, across time zones and countries, with intergenerational
leaders — and yet women and young women joined together with World YWCA and TorchlightCollective to create this final product.
The World Young Women’s Christian Association is grateful for the personal experiences,
technical expertise, time and effort that collectively resulted in this second edition of theYWCA Rise Up! Guide for Young Women’s Transformative Leadership. The content of thisGuide was developed through a consultative process with young women and young womenleaders, facilitators, mentors, and partners from different countries and backgrounds; andYWCA members in the various offices around the world. We give special recognition to young
women leaders across the globe who participated in the discussions to identify priority themes,
directions and approaches adopted in this manual.The successful piloting of this toolkit would
not have been possible without the participation of the selected young women leaders andfacilitators across different regions. They gave life to the content and context within, proving theusability and relevance in their context and to those who will benefit from it.
The unwavering guidance and support from the World YWCA team, including Dr. Suchi Gaurand Nirmala Gurung, who were critical in the process of creating this new version of the Guide.
The work would have been incomplete without contributions from Jade Brady, Naomi Woyengu
and Catherine Wanjiku.
This work has been created as a part of the RiseUp! Mobilizing Young Women for Leadershipand Advocacy initiative (2020-24) supported by the Government of Australia in the AsiaPacific region.
We are especially grateful to members of the Torchlight Collective consultant team of Radhika
Bijoyini, Humphres Evelia, Cecilia García Ruiz, Lindsay Menard-Freeman, and Sara Pellegrom
for leading the review process, consultations, drafting, and design of this Guide, including
supporting co-creation workshops with women and young women leaders and documenting
the contributions and insights into a comprehensive final Guide. A special thanks to Enrico
Gianfranchi for designing this manual.

ANNEXESANNEX 1: KEY WORDS + PHRASES
Why do we need a glossary?
Many leaders and activists in the broader women’s movement agree that words that once imparted visionsof social change have become devoid of their original meaning. For example, words like safe spaces,
empowerment, and engagement are being used differently by different members of the broader women’s
movement. This glossary is meant to remedy this and provide leaders and on the ground activists with acommon language used consistently.
This glossary tries to account for the most commonly used words — whether they are “technical terms”,“operational words” or “specialized jargons”. It tries to provide definitions that can be easily understood byeveryone, whether they are members of the movement, aspiring members, allies, partners or stakeholders who
work with us.

Ableism
Discrimination of and prejudice against people with disabilities (mental, emotional, and/or physical) based on
the belief that some bodies (typical and atypical) are more valuable than others. Ableism defines people by theirability and classifies people with disabilities as “less than” (e.g., not worthy of respect and consideration, unable
to contribute and take part in life, and other misconceptions). Ableism can be conscious or unconscious, and isembedded in institutions, systems, and the broader culture of a society.

Abuse
To treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way, whether physically, sexually, verbally or psychologically;
includes — to use harsh and insulting language to or about someone; to force sexual activity on; rape or molest;
to strike (hit, kick, throw things at, trip) someone with the intention of causing injury or pain.

Accountability
To be accountable means to be held responsible for a task, job, program, or upholding of a law. Accountability is
the responsibility that a person or a group has for a particular action. It requires trust, and is often coupled withan enforcement mechanism and consequences for not following through. Example: Accountability for humanrights means that certain people (for example government representatives and service providers) must respect,
protect and fulfil human rights. Putting accountability into action means ensuring that young women know anddemand their rights, and that those responsible take action to improve a situation.

106

Actors and agents of change
These are individuals who act as catalysts for changes in a group, community, organisations or nation. They act
as catalysts by inspiring others and influencing them toward a common course through new thinking and new
ideas. They are therefore promoters of change.

Advocacy
Advocacy consists of both strategy and action to achieve an objective. The objective of advocacy is theengagement of stakeholders in the decisions affecting them. The actions to achieve the objective, such as
lobbying those stakeholders, typically occur over time, and incrementally.”

Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to a set of policies and practices within a government or organisation seeking toinclude particular groups based on their gender, race, sexuality, creed or nationality in areas in which they are
underrepresented, such as education and employment. Historically and internationally, support for affirmative
action has sought to achieve goals such as bridging inequalities in employment and pay, increasing access to
education, promoting diversity, and redressing apparent past wrongs, harms, or hindrances.97

AgeismStereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) toward others or oneself
based on age. Ageism can lead to poorer health, social isolation, earlier deaths, and so much more. Unfortunately,
ageism is widely prevalent across institutions and sectors, and has far-reaching consequences on economies
and society. A few examples of ageism include losing your job because of your age, viewing younger people as
unskilled and irresponsible, or disregarding someone’s concerns due to their age.

Anti-racism
Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice,systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured aroundconscious efforts and deliberate actions which are intended to provide equal opportunities for all people on
both an individual and a systemic level.98

Anti-Oppression movements
Anti-Oppression movements seek to recognise the oppressions that exist in our society, and attempt to mitigate
its effects and eventually equalize the power imbalance in our communities.99

Biases(Un)conscious predispositions or generalizations about a group of people based on personal characteristics
or stereotypes. Some biases can be positive and helpful. Other biases can be based on prejudices rather thanknowledge. These cognitive shortcuts can sometimes result in judgements leading to rash decisions anddiscriminatory practises. (Also see Unconscious/Implicit biases).

Bio Breaks
Refers to breaks during meetings when participants can use the washrooms or bathrooms.

97. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action
98. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-racism
99. theantioppressionnetwork.com/what-is-anti-oppression
107Capacity building
The improvement of an individual’s or an organisation’s ability to fulfil their mission by strengthening theirinfrastructure, skills or expertise, governance, and human resources. Capacity building can happen throughtraining, investment, experiential learning, or organisation in order to create positive change.

Charter of the United Nations
The Charter of the United Nations is the founding document of the United Nations. It was signed on 26 June
1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, andcame into force on 24 October 1945. The United Nations can take action on a wide variety of issues due toits unique international character and the powers vested in its Charter, which is considered an international
treaty. As such, the UN Charter is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it.
The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to theprohibition of the use of force in international relations. Since the UN’s founding in 1945, the mission and workof the Organization have been guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter, which
has been amended three times in 1963, 1965, and 1973. The International Court of Justice, the principal judicialorgan of the United Nations, functions in accordance with the Statute of the International Court of Justice,which is annexed to the UN Charter, and forms an integral part of it.

Cisgender
Describes people whose gender identity or expression aligns with those typically associated with the sex
assigned to them at birth.

ClimateClimate in a narrow sense is usually defined as the “average weather,” or more rigorously, as the statisticaldescription in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period of time ranging from months
to thousands of years. The classical period is 3 decades, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization(WMO). These quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind. Climate
in a wider sense is the state, including a statistical description, of the climate system.

Climate Change Emergency
Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period oftime. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns,
among others, that occur over several decades or longer. Climate emergency is a situation in which urgent
action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage
resulting from it.

Coding (or Indexing)
Assigning codes to broad ideas and topics (i.e. age, gender, socio-economic status, region) as a means to
structure and label data.

Community leader
A person with the ability to influence or make change within a defined community. This role can be formal (i.e.,elected officials, religious leaders, recognised ethno-cultural leaders, or leaders of specific formal groups) orinformal (someone who likes to help).

108

Confidentiality
A promise or commitment to not share specific details or information with anyone outside of the research team,
especially details that may reveal the identity of the research participants.

Consultation
A series of planned in person and/or online processes seeking engagement and feedback on how to advancean agenda. A feminist consultation is structured to be non-hierarchical and should look at extra-personal andoutside factors. A feminist consultation is culturally responsive and empowering. More broadly, consultation
can range from formal to informal; and active (people provide comment and feedback on the decision making
process) to passive (people are merely informed).

Constitution
A formal and legal document that sets out the basic rules and regulations to form an association of humans.
Constitutions can provide the basic rules and regulations for states and countries, but also for organisations
such as the YWCA.

Cyberstalking
It is the systematic use of digital forms of communication to harass, intimidate or stalk a person, a group of
persons, or a company using the Internet or other electronic means. Constant psychological pressure in thedigital space can make a victim’s life unbearable. In some cases, offline harassment and even physical violence
can accompany online stalking. Cyberstalking is a crime in many countries.

Digital divide
Digital divide refers to the distinction between those who have internet access and are able to make use of newservices offered on the World Wide Web, and those who are excluded from these services.100

Disempowerment
It is the act of limiting a person or group of people to be able to do something and achieve certain goals. It
causes individuals to have no power, or will or means to influence things they would like to change in theirlives.

Discrimination
Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of
impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status,on the basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political,
economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field” [United Nations, 1979. ‘Convention on the Elimination of
all forms of Discrimination Against Women,’ Article 1]. Discrimination can stem from both law (de jure) orfrom practice (de facto). The CEDAW Convention recognises and addresses both forms of discrimination,
whether contained in laws, policies, procedures or practice:• de jure discrimination e.g., in some countries, a woman is not allowed to leave the country or hold a job
without the consent of her husband.
• de facto discrimination e.g. a man and woman may hold the same job position and perform the same
duties, but their benefits may differ.101
100. ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Digital_divide#:~:text=Digital%20divide%20refers%20to%20the,are%20
excluded%20from%20these%20services.
101. www.unicef.org/rosa/media/1761/file/Gender%20glossary%20of%20terms%20and%20concepts%20.pdf

109Diversity
Refers to the “variety of unique dimensions, qualities and characteristics we all possess.” Diversity captures
the differences in our identities, experiences, and perspectives. It is a ‘mirror’ of what makes people different
within a given space or group; however, diversity is not a guarantor of equal power or access within that spaceor group.

Duty bearer
These are individuals who have a certain responsibility over something. It could be a responsibility to safeguardlife and human rights.

Economic autonomy
It is the capacity of an individual to make independent decisions about one’s economic future. It is being able todecide and use means of production to determine and influence lives with dignity.

Empathy
The ability to sense people’s emotions and imagine what they might be thinking or feeling based on their frameof reference. There are three types of empathy. Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s
point of view. Emotional empathy is the ability to feel what someone else feels. Empathetic concern is the abilityto (un)consciously determine what someone might need from you.

Empowerment
The process of devolving or restoring power to an individual or a group of individuals. Empowerment often helps
individuals to grow stronger, more confident, and exert more agency and control over their life, rights, and choices.

Engagement
A formal or informal agreement whereby an individual commits themselves to the specific cause or activity ofan organisation, team, or group. Often, engagement is a result of a personal or emotional connection between
the member and the organisation, as they share a passion and commitment for the same causes, mission,
vision, and/or values.

Equality non-discrimination
Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives andtalents, and believing that no one should have poorer life chances because of where, what or whom they wereborn, or because of other characteristics. Equality recognises that historically, certain groups of people withparticular characteristics e.g. those of certain races, disabled people, women and gays and lesbians, haveexperienced discrimination.102 Discrimination refers to less favourable treatment against an individual becauseof that person’s protected characteristic.103 Non-discrimination referrers to treatment that does not favor any
individual.

EquityThe fair distribution of opportunities, power, and resources to meet the needs of all people, regardless of age,ability, gender, income, education level, culture, and background.

102. www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/secondary-education-resources/useful-information/glossary-terms
103. www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/secondary-education-resources/useful-information/glossary-terms

110Environmental changes
Environmental change is a change or disturbance of the environment most often caused by human influences
and natural ecological processes. Environmental changes include various factors, such as natural disasters,
human interferences, or animal interaction.

Evidence-based practiceEvidence-based research is the use of prior research in a systematic and transparent way to inform a new study
so that it is answering questions that matter in a valid, efficient, and accessible manner.104

Facilitator
A person who guides a group through discussion. A facilitator who follows feminist principles is mindful ofprivilege and power dynamics. They come from the participants’ community without having significant powerover the participants. They ensure participants are the rightful owners of the session. They collaborate withparticipants to foster a safe space.

Faith / faith-based
Describes something (e.g. an organisation, movement or approach) whose values or mission are based on or
draw inspiration from a certain faith or system of beliefs.

Feminism
Rather than being a single concept, there is a spectrum of feminism shaped by the lived experiences, identities,
and communities of feminists around the globe. Feminism is about all genders having equal rights andopportunities. It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths, andstriving to empower all women to realize their full rights.

Feminist
An approach that places the transformation of power relations, especially gender, at the heart of all socialchange analyses or processes. Feminist change interventions centre on the empowerment of women andother marginalised and/or underrepresented genders; the transformation of gender power relations; and theadvancement of gender equality. Feminist change interventions are often viewed through a “gender lens” (e.g.:asking whether gender equality and women’s rights are being consciously addressed and advanced by thechange process).

Gender equality
A state where women, men, girls and boys and people of all genders can benefit from equal rights, treatment,
responsibilities and opportunities. Gender equality does not imply sameness. 34 Gender equity: While genderequality aims to provide equal rights and opportunities to people of all genders, it does not address the systemic
barriers that women and gender minorities may face due to other factors like age, ethnicity, race, ability, sexual
orientation, etc. Gender equity aims to provide fairness and justice so that marginalized groups can accessthese opportunities and benefit from these rights. See also: “Intersectional”. Example: Gender equality would be
giving a man and a woman the same bullet-proof vest, even though their body shapes are often different (e.g. awoman might not be able to fit the vest over her chest). Gender equity would be giving each individual a bulletproof vest that is tailored to their body shape104. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32979491/#:~:text=Evidence%2Dbased%20research%20is%20the,%2C%20efficient%2C%20and%20accessible%20
manner111

Gender equity
Gender equity The process of being fair to men and women, boys and girls, and importantly the equality ofoutcomes and results. Gender equity may involve the use of temporary special measures to compensate forhistorical or systemic bias or discrimination. It refers to differential treatment that is fair and positively addresses
a bias or disadvantage that is due to gender roles or norms or differences between the sexes. Equity ensures thatwomen and men and girls and boys have an equal chance, not only at the starting point, but also when reaching
the finishing line. It is about the fair and just treatment of both sexes that takes into account the different needsof the men and women, cultural barriers and (past) discrimination of the specific group.105

Gender expression
An individual’s characteristics and behaviors (such as appearance, dress, mannerisms, speech patterns, andsocial interactions) that may be perceived as specific to a gender.

Gender identity
A person’s internal, deeply-felt sense of being male, female, something other or in-between, regardless of thesex they were assigned at birth. Everyone has a gender identity.

Gender lens
Applying a gender lens to civic engagement programs and materials means that those making content andcurriculum decisions view those programs and materials with particular attention to gender imbalances orbiases in what is being presented.

Gender non-conformingThis term refers to people who do not follow other people’s ideas or stereotypes about how they should look or
act based on the female or male sex they were assigned at birth. These expectations can vary across culturesand have changed over time.

Gender sensitivity
Being aware of how gender impacts the treatment of others. For example, valuing the importance of language inpower relations by understanding that some words might carry different meanings across genders.

Goal
Goals define and quantify the steps a movement must take. They are the signposts to show progress in theright direction. They are measurable and answer questions like, “When?” and “How much?” Goals aim tocreate specific impact. For example: World YWCA’s Goal 2035 describes a clear vision for the future: “By 2035,
100 million young women and girls transform power structures to create justice, gender equality, and a world
without violence and war; leading a sustainable YWCA movement inclusive of all women.”

Governance
The establishment of rules, policies, procedures and structures that define roles and responsibilities within
an organisation. Governance and its associated processes guide how different actors within an organisationinteract, make decisions, and are held accountable.

105. www.unicef.org/rosa/media/1761/file/Gender%20glossary%20of%20terms%20and%20concepts%20.pdf

112

Harm
The act of causing injury and the result of said injury. Harm may be physical, emotional, spiritual, or evenpsychological. Harm can be caused either intentionally or unintentionally. When someone is harmed, they might
not realize they are harmed or know how to respond. They might also be in denial. The person experiencing harm
needs support and time to recover and heal.

Human dignity
Human dignity is the recognition that human beings possess a special value intrinsic to their humanity and assuch are worthy of respect simply because they are human beings. Dignity is the right of a person to be valued
and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically.

Human rights
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, gender,
national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our humanrights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible

Human Rights- based approach (HRBA)
Describes an approach that applies human rights principles such as non-discrimination, participation andaccountability. A human rights-based approach makes the fulfilment of human rights a key priority in every
programme, project and activity.

Inclusion
The act of removing barriers to enable full participation and belonging. Inclusion looks like being intentional toidentify challenges, understand what people need, and provide reasonable accommodations to foster equitable
spaces and experiences.

Inclusive
Being inclusive means supporting a sense of belonging for others, whoever they are. Inclusive spaces areachieved when individuals have agency to share opinions, make decisions, and feel respected and valued,
regardless of their identity. To pro- mote inclusive spaces, the YWCA fully acknowledges and embraces thediversity of race, ethnicity, health, status, class, caste, differently abled, indigenous, age, sexual orientation,
gender identity and faith.

Inclusivity
Supporting a sense of belonging for others, whoever they are. Inclusivity is achieved when people have agency
to share their opinions, make decisions, and feel respected and valued, regardless of their identity. To promote
inclusivity, World YWCA fully acknowledges and embraces the diversity of race, ethnicity, health, status, class,caste, differently abled, indigenous, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, and faith.

Innovation
A process that creates new or improves existing mechanisms in order to ‘better’ solve a problem. For example,‘innovation’ would solve a social, technological, or business problem by introducing an intervention thatfacilitates a complex process.

113International human rights law
International human rights law governs the obligations of States towards citizens and other individuals within
their jurisdiction. Human rights law enshrines the highest of human ideals, that every human being has a set ofrights and freedoms. International human rights law lays down obligations which States are bound to respect.

Intergenerational
Describes the relationship between and across generations. An intergenerational approach is grounded in
respect for the lived experience of each individual, independent of their age, and what we can learn from them.

Intersectional / Intersectionality
A term created by law professor Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw. The interconnected nature of social categorisations
such as race, class, and gender. When these social categories apply to an individual or group, they overlap tocreate new and interdependent power relations, discriminations, (dis)advantages, or privileges.

Intersex
Intersex is a general term used for a variety of situations in which a person is born with reproductive or sexual
anatomy that doesn’t fit the boxes of “female” or “male.” Sometimes doctors do surgeries on intersex babies andchildren to make their bodies fit binary ideas of “male” or “female”. Doctors always assign intersex babies a legalsex (male or female, in most states), but, just like with non-intersex people, that doesn’t mean that’s the gender
identity they’ll grow up to have. This brings up questions about whether or not it’s OK to do medical procedures onchildren’s bodies when it’s not needed for their health. Being intersex is a naturally occurring variation in humans,
and it isn’t a medical problem — therefore, medical interventions (like surgeries or hormone therapy) on children
usually aren’t medically necessary. Being intersex is also more common than most people realize. It’s hard to know
exactly how many people are intersex, but estimates suggest that about 1-2 in 100 people born in the U.S. areintersex. There are many different ways someone can be intersex. Some intersex people have genitals or internal
sex organs that fall outside the male/female categories — such as a person with both ovarian and testicular tissues.
Other intersex people have combinations of chromosomes that are different than XY ( usually associated withmale) and XX (usually associated with female), like XXY. And some people are born with external genitals thatfall into the typical male/female categories, but their internal organs or hormones don’t. If a person’s genitals lookdifferent from what doctors and nurses expect when they’re born, someone might be identified as intersex frombirth. Other times, someone might not know they’re intersex until later in life, like when they go through puberty.
Sometimes a person can live their whole life without ever discovering that they’re intersex.106

Knowledge management
Knowledge management is the conscious process of defining, structuring, retaining, and sharing the knowledge
and experience of employees within an organisation. The primary goal of knowledge management is facilitating
the connection of staff looking for information, or institutional knowledge, with the people who have it.107[1]Some of the methods of Knowledge management are information technology systems, e.g., databases, intranets,
extranets, and portals; methodologies; or human networks, e.g., communities of practice.108

Leadership
Empowering, collaborating with, inspiring or mentoring a group of individuals, young women’s transformative
leadership builds upon the existing knowledge, creativity, and capacity of YWCA young women as leaders of106. www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/sex-gender-identity/whats-intersex.
107. www.valamis.com/hub/knowledge-management
108. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-0983-9_120#:~:text=The%20explicit%20and%20systematic%20management,information%20
management%20and%20organizational%20learning.
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positive social, economic and environmental change. It celebrates the processes by which young women jointly
explore their strengths, educate themselves, and identify as decision makers. It also seeks to pro- vide themwith the confidence, knowledge, information, skills, and support to understand and manage power imbalances,challenge injustices, hold powerful people to account and make positive change in their lives

LGBTIQ+
A common abbreviation that refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer community.

Lobbying
Lobbying, any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government; in
its original meaning it referred to efforts to influence the votes of legislators, generally in the lobby outside thelegislative chamber. Lobbying in some form is inevitable in any political system.109

Logistics noteThis is advice on what materials are required, how they are organised and used for a particular session.

Malwares
Malware (short for “malicious software”) is a file or code, typically delivered over a network, that infects,
explores, steals or conducts virtually any behavior an attacker wants. And because malware comes in so many
variants, there are numerous methods to infect computer systems. Many types of malware exist, including
computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, wiper, and scareware.

Means of production
The means of production is a concept that encompasses the social use and ownership of the land, labour, andcapital needed to produce goods, services, and their logistical distribution and delivery. It includes the social
relations between workers, technology, and other resources used.

Marginalized and / or underrepresented communities
Groups of people within a given culture, context, and history at risk of being subjected to multiple
discrimination due to the interplay of different personal characteristics or grounds, such as sex, gender, age,
ethnicity, religion or belief, health status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, education or income,or living in various geographic localities.

Movement-building
A process of organizing and mobilizing communities in response to problems and concerns. Movementbuilding can include a shared analysis of why the problem exists, a common vision and agenda for change, andshort and long-term strategies. Movement-building also requires those involved to define shared principles andmechanisms for communication, roles and responsibilities, and processes.

Non-discrimination
Non-discrimination Putting non-discrimination into practice means making sure that everyone is treated fairly
and equally. Example: Government services, projects, programs and policies that apply non-discrimination inpractice must serve members of society who are often left behind, marginalized, silenced and ignored equally.
109.www.britannica.com/topic/lobbying115Each country or community may have different marginalized people. However, young women are often among
the most discriminated against.

Online / cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets.
Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where
people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative,
harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information
about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful
or criminal behavior. The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are: Social Media, such as Facebook,
Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok; Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices; Instantmessaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet; Online forums, chat rooms, and message
boards, such as Reddit; Email; Online gaming communities.

Participant
A person who consented to share their ideas and perspectives during research activities.

Participatory
A process using a variety of techniques to share power and ownership over agenda, process, and outcomes.
Participants are encouraged to identify possible solutions and actions. The methods aim to articulate and share
the perspectives of marginalized and/or underrepresented groups while supporting their direct collaboration
with those in positions of power and authority.

Partnership
A mutually beneficial relationship between two or more individuals or institutions. In a partnership, both partners
join around a common objective, and each partner has a fully recognised agency and role.

Patriarchal
This is relating to or denoting a system of society or government controlled by men. Within patriarchal relations,
women are collectively excluded from full participation in political and economic life.

Phishing
This is an attack that attempts to steal your money, or your identity, by getting you to reveal personal informationsuch as credit card numbers, bank information, or passwords.

Policy advocacy
The use of advocacy to accomplish policy change. Policy change can include changing laws, programs,
frameworks, views, norms, etc. of government, corporation, and other bodies that hold power or influence overlarge groups of people.

Positionality
The social and political context shaping your identity such as your race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability
status. Positionality also describes how your identity might influence — and potentially bias — your outlook on
the world.

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PowerThe capacity or ability to influence — through individual action or by contributing to collective efforts — thebehavior of others or the course of events.

Power dynamics
Systems of influence and control over individuals, organisations, governments, or other spheres of life. Power
structures exist in every relationship, in families, and in organisations. It is important to be mindful of unequal
and unfair power structures to understand how these might impact people’s agency and behavior.

Privilege“Unearned access to resources and social power that are readily available to some people because of theirsocial group membership.” Privilege can be inherent (e.g.: white privilege, male privilege, etc.) or an unearned
advantage because of your identity (e.g.: class privilege, adult privilege, etc.). Regardless of the type, privilege
is about the power you hold based on your social group — and often at the expense of another social group.

Racialized (populations)Groups to whom society has assigned a racial category that dictates the discriminatory or oppressive treatment
they receive, in particular from formal institutions through systemic or institutional racism. Race is a social
construct imposed by the dominant on the oppressed.

RacismThe belief in the inherent superiority of one race over all others and thereby the right to dominance — a global systemof race-based oppression. Racial discrimination and injustices have been embedded in the political, economic, andsocial structure of society for centuries. However, in 2020, the video of George Floyd’s murder in the US transcended
borders to ignite solidarity protests around the world. This moment sparked a global racial reckoning fueling the Black
Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Learn more by taking UNESCO’s Racism and Discrimination course.

Reasonable accommodation
Reasonable accommodation means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing adisproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities theenjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Resilience
This is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, or ability to withstand tough situations in life and bounceback and grow.

Resource mobilization
The process of raising or leveraging resources (example. funding, expertise, knowledge, people, etc.) toaccomplish a goal or build capacity. This also includes making better use of, and maximizing, existing resources.

Rights holders
Rights-holders are individuals or social groups that have particular entitlements in relation to specific dutybearers. In general terms, all human beings are rights-holders under the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. In particular contexts, there are often specific social groups whose human rights are not fully realized,

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respected or protected. More often than not, these groups tend to include women and girls, ethnic minorities,
indigenous peoples, and migrants and youth.110

Safe space
On / offline (virtual or in-person) places that seek to provide an environment where all people feel safe, comfortable,
and can share their experiences, opinions, and views without fear or threat of political, economic, or personal harm.

Self-care
Is a multidimensional, multifaceted process of purposeful engagement in strategies that promote healthyfunctioning and enhance well-being. Essentially, the term describes a conscious act a person takes in order topromote their own physical, mental, and emotional health.

SexismStereotyping, prejudice, and/or discrimination based on one’s gender or sex.

Sexual orientation
A person’s physical or emotional attraction to people of the same and/or other gender. Straight, gay, and bisexual
are some ways to describe sexual orientation. It is important to note that sexual orientation is distinct from gender
identity and expression. Transgender people can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight, just like non-transgender people.

Sexual dichotomy
Treating men and women as segregated categories, as if they have nothing in common. For example, ignoringthat men and women exist as fluid in gender, and as a result can appreciate the same things.

Social change
Change in both the power structures that govern society and the cultural norms and values held by people.
Advocacy, resource mobilisation, movement building, and young women transforming power structures are all
examples of ways to achieve social change.

Social justiceThis is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Westernand Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals
fulfil their societal roles and receive what was their due from society.

Sustainable development
Sustainable development is the overarching paradigm of the United Nations. The concept of sustainable
development was described by the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report as “development that meets the needsof the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”111

Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United
Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all
people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 SDGs are integrated — they recognise that action in one area
110. www.right-to-education.org/monitoring/content/glossary-rights-holders
111. en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable-development/what-is-esd/sd#:~:text=Sustainable%20development%20is%20the%20
overarching,to%20meet%20their%20own%20needs.%E2%80%9D

118will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental
sustainability. Countries have committed to prioritize progress for those who’re furthest behind. The SDGs
are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls. Creativity, knowhow,technology and financial resources from all of society are necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context. The
17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to transform our world: GOAL 1: No Poverty; GOAL 2: Zero Hunger; GOAL
3: Good Health and Well-being; GOAL 4: Quality Education; GOAL 5: Gender Equality; GOAL 6: Clean Water andSanitation; GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; GOAL 9: Industry,Innovation and Infrastructure; GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality’ GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; GOAL
12: Responsible Consumption and Production; GOAL 13: Climate Action; GOAL 14: Life below Water; GOAL 15: Lifeon Land; GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions; GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal

SWOT analysis
SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a framework used to evaluate thecompetitive position of an entity such as an organisation or group and to develop strategic planning. SWOT
analysis assesses internal and external factors, as well as current and future potential.

Target groups
Target groups are the specific groups of people you want to reach with your work. These can be defined basedon different permutations between age, ethnicity, geography, gender. For example, under YWCA, target groups
are defined as the following: Women: 18 years and older. Young women: Women aged 30 or under Girls: Minors,
17 years and younger

TraumaAn emotional, physiological, or physical response resulting from one or more harmful experiences. Chronic
trauma comes from repeated and prolonged exposure to high-stress environments. Complex trauma comesfrom exposure to multiple events. Secondary trauma comes from close contact to someone who has experienced
trauma. Acute trauma comes from a single isolated event. Regardless of the type, trauma is often described asa stress response with no visible signs. Symptoms can include feelings of numbness, detachment, and shock toname a few. Most people experience at least one traumatic event at some point in their lives. Without properly
addressing it, trauma can have long-term effects on a person’s well-being.

TransgenderAn umbrella term that can be used to describe people whose gender identity and/or expression is different fromtheir sex assigned at birth. A person whose sex assigned at birth was female but who identifies as male is atransgender man (also known as female-to-male transgender person, or FTM). A person whose sex assigned atbirth was male but who identifies as female is a transgender woman (also known as male-to-female transgenderperson, or MTF). Some people described by this definition don’t consider themselves transgender — they may
use other words, or may identify simply as a man or woman. A person does not need to identify as transgender
for an employer’s non-discrimination policies to apply to them.

Transformative Justice
A political framework and approach for responding to violence, harm, and abuse. At its most basic, transformative
justice seeks to respond to violence without creating more violence and/or engaging in harm reduction to lessen
the violence. TJ can be thought of as a way to “make things right,” get in “right relation,” or create justice together.

119Transition
The process of changing one’s gender from the sex assigned at birth to one’s gender identity. There are manydifferent ways to transition. For some people, it is a complex 2 World YWCA Transgender Inclusion Policy WorldYWCA Personnel Policies — Approved July 2019 process that takes place over a long period of time, while forothers it is a one- or two-step process that happens more quickly. Transition may include “coming out” (tellingfamily, friends, and co-workers); changing the name and/or sex on legal documents; and, for many transgenderpeople, but not necessarily, accessing medical treatment such as hormones and surgery.

Transitional justiceTransitional justice covers the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a society’s attempt tocome to terms with a legacy of large-scale past conflict, repression, violations and abuses, in order to ensureaccountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation. These processes may include both judicial and non-judicial
mechanisms, including truth-seeking, prosecution initiatives, reparations, and various measures to prevent therecurrence of new violations, including: constitutional, legal and institutional reform, the strengthening of civilsociety, memorialization efforts, cultural initiatives, the preservation of archives, and the reform of history education.
Transitional justice aims to provide recognition to victims, enhance the trust of individuals in State institutions,reinforce respect for human rights and promote the rule of law, as a step towards reconciliation and the preventionof new violations. Transitional justice processes have repeatedly demonstrated they can help address grievancesand divisions. To this end, such processes must be context-specific, nationally owned, and focused on the needsof victims. Then, they can connect, empower and transform societies and thereby contribute to lasting peace.112

Transparency in research
It refers to the shared belief that “researchers have an ethical obligation to facilitate the evaluation of theirevidence-based knowledge claims” by making their evidence, analysis, and research design public (Lupia &Elman, 2014). This concept has three dimensions: data, analytic, and production transparency. 1. The normof data transparency (or “data access”) obliges researchers to publicize the evidence on which their empiricalfindings rest. 2. The norm of analytic transparency obliges researchers to publicize how they measure, interpret,
and analyse evidence. 3. The norm of production transparency obliges social scientists to publicize the broader
set of research design and method choices they make.113

Troll
Someone who leaves an intentionally annoying or offensive online message to upset the recipient or to get attention.

Tokenism
When individuals who belong to a marginalized and/or underrepresented group appear to be given a voice, but
in fact have little or no choice about what they do or how they participate.

Unconscious / Implicit bias
The attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. We
all have implicit biases — no matter our identities and regardless of how educated we are on the topic. These
associations begin developing at a very early age and continue over the course of a lifetime through exposure todirect and indirect messages.

112. www.ohchr.org/en/transitional-justice113. www.princeton.edu/~amoravcs/library/TransparencyinQualitativeResearch.pdf

120United Nations
The United Nations is an international governing body formed in 1945 to increase political and economic
cooperation among its member countries. The U.N. grew out of the League of Nations following World War II;
now, nearly every country in the world is a member. It has five principal component parts, including the U.N.
Economic and Social Council, which coordinates the work of 15 specialized agencies.114

Universal and inalienable (human rights)
Human rights are inalienable: you cannot lose these rights any more than you can cease being a human being.
Human rights are indivisible: you cannot be denied a right because it is “less important” or “non-essential.”
Human rights are interdependent: all human rights are part of a complementary framework.115 They are universal
because they apply to all human beings.

Universal declaration of human rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights.
Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, theDeclaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General
Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out,
for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500
languages. The UDHR is widely recognised as having inspired, and paved the way for, the adoption of more thanseventy human rights treaties, applied today on a permanent basis at global and regional levels

Universal design
Universal design means the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all
people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Universal design
shall not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed.

Unpaid domestic work
Unpaid labour is defined as labour that does not receive any direct remuneration. Unpaid work is household,care and domestic work that usually falls on women and girls; is largely invisible, unvalued and unremunerated
labour; and constrains women’s and girls’ ability to have time to go to school, take up paid work, focus on
their own wellbeing or exercise their civic participation rights.

VisionDefines the optimal desired future state of what the movement wants to achieve over time. A vision is often theanswer or mental picture that comes up when asked ‘what do we want to achieve, in the long run?’ It provides
guidance and inspiration to the movement

Young women
An overarching category for people, in all their diversity, who are between the ages of 16 to 35 (though sometimes
younger or older, depending on specific organisational or cultural definitions) and identify as female or non-binary.

114. www.investopedia.com/terms/u/united-nations-un.asp#:~:text=The%20United%20Nations%20is%20an,the%20world%20is%20a%20member
115. hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/whatare.htm#:~:text=Human%20rights%20are%20inalienable%3A%20
you,part%20of%20a%20complementary%20framework.

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ANNEX 2: ABBREVIATIONS
CSE		
CSW		
GGCA		
HIV		HRBA		HRC		ILO		ITGSE		LGBTIQ		
NGO		
OHCHR
SGBV		
SRHR		STI		UN		UNICEF		
UNESCOUNFCCCYWCA		

Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Commission on Status of Women
Global Gender and Climate Alliance
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Human Rights-Based Approach
Human Rights Council
International Labour Organization
International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer
Non-Governmental Organization
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Sexually Transmitted Infection
United Nations
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Young Women’s Christian Association

ANNEX 3: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES / FURTHER READING
Further reading per section
Introduction
1.

2.

122

Young people championing post-pandemic futures Policy recommendations from the big 6 youth organisations
www.worldywca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Final-Young-People-Championing-Post-PandemicFutures.pdf
Research paper published by the Big 6 Youth organisations to highlight challenges facing children andyoung people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a joint call on this demographic’s behalf that has
recommendations on policy solutions that can be implemented to overcome these challenges.
Coronavirus recession threatens to worsen racial inequalities in youth unemployment, researchers warn
www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/coronavirus-recession-threatens-worsen-racial-inequalities-youthunemployment-black-lives-matter-1.890568
Website article by the University of Sheffield following research on the effect of the coronavirus recession
on youth unemployment especially focused on racial inequalities towards young black, Asian and minority
ethnic (BAME) people.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world of work. Fourth editionUpdated estimates and analysis
www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_745963.pdf
ILO’s updated estimation and analysis on the continued impact of COVID-19 on the world of work. The
analysis covers business hours; workplace and business closures; the effect of the lockdown. It covers
the effect these changes have had on youth (un)employment in both the formal and informal sector, thechallenges faced before the pandemic and the escalation post pandemic.
Coronavirus: Impact on young people with mental health needs
youngminds.org.uk/media/3708/coronavirus-report_march2020.pdf
Young minds UK survey on the effect of coronavirus on young people with a history of mental healthissues. The survey covered a somewhat longitudinal period where young people had freedom of
movement, to partial lockdown and the complete lockdown of the UK. The results showcased thenumerous challenges they encountered dealing with the mental health issues, coping mechanisms they
had to adapt and the difficulties of accessing support.
Ureport - Opinions
ureport.in/opinion/4311
UNICEF’s digital platform to engage young people in programme priorities, emergency response andadvocacy actions. The real time opinions on specific areas that impact children are recorded are analysed,
mapped, and publicly displayed. The survey is aimed at sharing information, raising awareness, andcollecting quantifiable data that can be actioned by relevant decision makers and stakeholders. Theinteractions are tailored for young people and are country specific.
Education: From disruption to recovery
en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse
Fact sheet developed by UNESCO on the effect of coronavirus on closure of schools and impact on
education across the world. The factsheet has further resources on global monitoring of school closure;
total duration of school closure; and prioritized teachers for the COVID-19 vaccine (in-article links).
Social Mobility and COVID-19; Implications of the Covid-19 crisis for educational inequality
www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-and-Social-Mobility-1.pdf
This paper addresses the impact on social mobility during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic especiallyon disadvantaged young people through their time in education and into the workplace. Sutton Trust UK’s
priority areas cover early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education (including access to university
and student finance) and access to the workplace.

Human Rights
1.

2.

3.

123

Global Issues – Human Rights
www.un.org/en/global-issues/human-rights
United Nations website article on human rights; introduction to the human rights law touching on
economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights; the human rights convention and council.
International Human Rights Law
www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-and-mechanisms/international-human-rights-law
An introduction to the human rights law by the United Nations
International Bill of Human Rights; A brief history, and the two International Covenants
www.ohchr.org/en/what-are-human-rights/international-bill-human-rights
A history of the international bill of human rights, responsibilities of states, the two international
conventions and how they are monitored.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Treaty bodies - What are treaty bodies
www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies
The ten treaty bodies within the United Nations are composed of independent experts of recognisedcompetence in human rights. This website article highlights the bodies (in-article links) and the rights set
out in the treaty.
What is Human Rights Education?
www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/human-rights-education
An introduction to human rights education and the importance.
The Human Rights-Based approachwww.unfpa.org/human-rights-based-approach
A description of the human rights-based approach by the United Nations Population Fund
Human Rights-Based approach
ennhri.org/about-nhris/human-rights-based-approach/#:~:text=The%20HRBA%20is%20
underpinned%20by,the%20enjoyment%20of%20their%20rights.
A description of the human rights-based approach by the National Human Rights Institutions
Goal 2035: Theory of Change
www.worldywca.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/DOC-BM-3.1.3-Theory-of-change_FINAL-EN.pdf
Theory of Change document by World Young Women’s Christian Association

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
1.

2.

3.

4.

124

Abortion stigma ends here: A toolkit for understanding and actionwww.ipas.org/resources/abortion-stigma-ends-here
Ipas toolkit developed to address and mitigate abortion stigma. The toolkit can be downloaded for use
with community members, health workers, activists and community-based organisations.
Abortion attitude transformation: A values clarification toolkit for global audiences
www.ipas.org/resources/abortion-attitude-transformation-a-values-clarification-toolkit-for-globalaudiences
Ipas toolkit on abortion values clarification and attitude transformation interventions to be used fortraining programme staff, technical advisors and those in the field of reproductive health.
A Young Woman’s Toolkit for Advocacy on SRHR & Mental Healthwww.worldywca.org/team/a-young-womans-toolkit-for-advocacy-on-sexual-reproductive-healthrights-and-mental-healthThis toolkit, in line with the World YWCA strategy, is anchored on a program to support Young
Women’s advocacy in SRHR and build their confidence to stand up and speak out at national, regional,
and global levels, and to take collective action to change narratives, policies, and to demand highquality services. The central pillar is for young women to design evidence-based advocacy initiatives
through aspirational storytelling, emphasizing their rights and bodily autonomy. The World YWCA
aspires to contribute to the growing young women’s movement and body of knowledge on SRHR andmental health around the world. It aims to accelerate a collective action where young women are at thecentre as drivers of change
How to educate about abortion; A guide for peer educators, teachers and trainers
www.ippf.org/sites/default/files/2016-05/ippf_peereducationguide_abortion_final.pdf
An IPPF education guide developed for teachers, educators and trainers on abortion.

5.

6.

The Evaluation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programmes: A Focus on the Gender andEmpowerment Outcomes
www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPAEvaluationWEB4.pdf
The Evaluation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programmes: A Focus on the Gender andEmpowerment Outcomes – a publication developed by UNFPA following a meeting with various experts
in CSE. The meeting was held to evaluate the continuous and emerging trends in CSE programming,
research, and adaptation to different contexts.
Aspiring LEADERS Inspiring CHANGE
www.worldywca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AspiringLeadersBooklet-WebVersion-June2021.pdf
A compilation of stories of 15 Young Women Leaders associated with World YWCA from Asia, Africa
and Eastern Europe who are driving change in their communities through initiatives around sexual andreproductive health and rights (SRHR) and mental health.

Economic Empowerment
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

125

Reports and toolkits
hlp-wee.unwomen.org/en/reports-toolkits
Collection of resources by UN Women containing case studies and good practices on women’s economic
empowerment. Each toolkit is accompanied by a working group paper with specific recommendations fortransformational change.
Gender-Smart Investing in MENA: An Egyptian perspective on strengthening investment strategies toempower women
seepnetwork.org/files/galleries/AWEF-Gender_Smart_Investing_in_MENA-report_final_5_October_(1).pdf
A brief developed to present learning and experience of Gender-Smart Investment in Egypt and a
proposed approach to GSI Investment.
The Female Economy
hbr.org/2009/09/the-female-economy
Harvard Business Review on women and the economy in today’s world – their contribution, challenges
and success.
Egypt fintech Kashat raises $1.75M funding in round led by Launch Africa
www.techinafrica.com/egypt-fintech-kashat-raises-funding
Tech in Africa article on Kashat, an Egypt-based fintech startup raising funds in collaboration with
regional investors.
Gender Equality Scorecard manualwww.seaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SEAF-GES-Manual_071420-Final.pdf
A manual developed by SEAF on advancement of women’s economic empowerment and gender equality
in SMEs and diversity and inclusion in the private funds industry.
A Tool to Advance Women’s Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality in SMEs and Diversity andInclusion in the Private Fund Industry
data.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/documents/Publications/ASEAN/ASEAN%20Gender%20
Outlook_final.pdf
A collaborative report on the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) gender outlook including
the lack of gender data, calling for greater investment and prioritization of data for tracking progress
towards gender equality and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2015 Update: Enabling Women, Energizing Asia
www.adb.org/publications/asian-development-outlook-2015-update-enabling-women-energizing-asia
The annual Asian Development Outlook: this publication presents an analysis of developing Asia’s recent
economic performance in 2015 and its prospects until 2017 - forecasts met, divergence between forecasts
and the actual outturn.
8. Gender Equality and the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific Baseline and pathways
for transformative change by 2030
www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20eseasia/docs/publications/2018/10/apsdg-report_
web-28aug2018.pdf?la=en&vs=4304
Asia Development Bank and UN Women collaborative report on progress on gender equality within the
SDG framework; priority actions to achieve gender equality; and first assessment for Asia and the Pacificof how the 2030 Agenda is to be achieved by addressing gender equality and the empowerment of
women and girls.
9. Global Wage Report 2018/19: What lies behind gender pay gaps
www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/
wcms_650553.pdf
ILO Global wage report 2018/19 with a focus on gender pay gaps
10. Women in Business and Management The business case for change
www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/
wcms_700953.pdf
ILO global report published in 2019 on Women in Business and Management: The business which offered
new insights into improvement of organisational performance at the top due to gender diversity.
11. A Quantum Leap For Gender Equality. For a Better Future of Work For All
www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/
wcms_674831.pdf
A documentation on the research, data, learning and insights gained in the context of the Women at Work
Centenary Initiative by ILO.
12. COVID-19 is No Excuse to Regress on Gender Equality
www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/651541/covid-19-no-excuse-regress-gender-equality.pdf
ADB brief on the need for continued advocacy and efforts in gender equality despite COVID-19 and its impact.
13. Gender and Social Inclusion Checklist: What Do I Need To Consider?
www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Power-Africa-Gender-Social-Inclusion-Checklist.pdf
Power Africa guide to support integration of gender and social inclusion in technical and other activities.
14. Worrying signals on social protection in Ghana
www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Worrying-signals-on-social-protectioninGhana-282093
GhanaWeb article describing social protection and the dwindling efforts
15. Maternity and paternity at work Law and practice across the world
www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/
wcms_242615.pdf
ILO reports on national law and practice on maternity and paternity at work across the world.
16. African Economic Outlook 2016 SPECIAL THEME: Sustainable Cities and Structural Transformationwww.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/AEO_2016_Report_Full_English.pdf
The African Economic Outlook (AEO) 2016 report on situation in Africa and a two-year forecast
7.

12617. Empowering African Women: An Agenda for Actionwww.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/African_Gender_Equality_Index_2015-EN.pdf
The Africa Gender Equality Index 2015
18. Women and Climate Change Impact and Agency in Human Rights, Security, and Economic Development
giwps.georgetown.edu/sites/giwps/files/Women%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security report on women and climate change and evaluates
the need for increased inclusion of women at the highest levels of decision-making related to climatechange (provides a link to download report).
19. Resilience and Adaptation Initiative Overview
www.bsr.org/collaboration/groups/resilience-and-adaptation-initiative
An overview of BSR’s Resilience and Adaptation Initiative (READI) which is a corporate platform forbusinesses to develop strategies for enhancing resilience to climate risk across the value chain andimprove ability to catalyze broader societal resilience (provides link to download complete overview and2017 scope of work).
20. Building Effective Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategies. Sector-Specific Opportunities and theCase for Collaborationwww.bsr.org/reports/BSR_ICRW_Building_Effective_Womens_Economic_Empowerment_Strategies.pdf
A report compiled after interviewing multinational companies on women’s economic empowerment,
compiling the latest literature, practices, and programs. It acts as a guide for companies looking to build
strategies for economic women empowerment using a holistic and integrated approach.
21. Girls Getting to Secondary School Safely: Combating Gender-based Violence in the Transportation
Sector in Tanzania
files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537465.pdf
Academy for Educational development conducted a survey on the challenges school going girls in
Tanzania experience enroute to school in 2000 and compiled this report from those they face in thetransportation sector especially the various forms of gender based violence.
22. Education for All 2000-2015: achievements and challenges; EFA global monitoring report, 2015
23. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002322/232205e.pdf
UNESCO digital repository providing a link for the report Education for All 2000-2015: achievements andchallenges; EFA global monitoring report, 2015

Peace + Justice
1.

2.

3.

127

#BulletAndDove
www.worldywca.org/news-events/events/world-ywcas-bulletanddove-panel
A you tube video on witness accounts of intergenerational women living in conflict, calling for action andcompassion#BulletAndDove
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaFDjdwjj4o
No More Silence: Intergenerational Action towards PeaceStrengthening Transitional Justice Through Engagement With Religious and Faith-Based Actors: An
Assessment Toolkit
gijtr.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Faith-based-Actors-Toolkit-6x9-EN.pdf
A Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) toolkit to evaluate the role, contribution orlack of faith-based organisations in transitional justice processes

4.

Truth, Bread, and Tea: A Toolkit for Reintegration of Women Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual
Violence and Children Born of War
gijtr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Reintegration-and-TJ-Toolkit-EN.pdf
A Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) toolkit for reintegration of womensurvivors of conflict-related sexual violence and children born of war

Climate Emergency
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

128

Tools for young climate activists
www.voicesofyouth.org/climate-toolkit
A UNICEF toolkit on knowledge, tools, and resources for children and young people to participate inglobal youth climate action and advocate for change.
Prepare to act! Practical tips for climate advocacy and actionwww.unicef.org/lac/media/28571/file/prepare-to-act.pdf
A UNICEF compilation of practical tips for adolescents and young people to help them prepare for climate
advocacy and action.
Climate Change Toolkit for Students and Youthlivelearn.org/what/resources/climate-change-toolkit-students-and-youth
Live & Learn Environmental Education toolkit for students and youth on climate change
Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance
www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf
APA collaborative report on impact of climate change on mental health. The report provides guidance tohealth and medical professionals, community and elected leaders, and the public on engagement withconsideration to mental health.
A Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Toolkit
www.orygen.org.au/About/Orygen-Global/Files/Orygen-WEF-advocacy-toolkit
An Orygen and WEF toolkit on global youth mental health advocacy
Women, Gender Equality and Climate Change
www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/climate_change/downloads/Women_and_Climate_Change_
Factsheet.pdf
A UN Women fact sheet on how women are affected by these issues; and how they respond, is provided
below together with references to relevant United Nations mandates and information sources.
Beyond Vulnerability to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and Leadership in Disaster Risk
Reduction: Critical Actions for the United Nations System
www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/Research-paper-Beyond-vulnerability-to-genderequality-en.pdf
Joint Study on the Status of Gender Equality and Women’s Leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction
Committee on the against Women Elimination of Discrimination General Recommendation No. 37 on
Gender related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change
tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20Documents/1_Global/CEDAW_C_
GC_37_8642_E.pdf

Podcasts
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Save the Seagrass, Save Ourselves?
forwhatitsearth.podbean.com
For What it’s Earth podcast episode on seagrass in the UK; description, marine life and how we can save it.
Finding Refuge with David Miliband
www.outrageandoptimism.org/episodes/outrage-and-optimism-the-podcast?hsLang=en
Outrage and Optimism podcast episode on solving the climate crisis and remaking the world
Every Breath Matters with Dr. Arvind Kumar
www.outrageandoptimism.org/episodes/breath-matters-dr-arvind-kumar?hsLang=en
Outrage and Optimism podcast episode on air pollution as a public epidemic
Learning to Live with Grief and Joy with AURORA
www.outrageandoptimism.org/episodes/grief-and-joy-aurora?hsLang=en
Outrage and Optimism podcast episode on processing grief and joy; improving mental health
Adaptation is Survival with Emma Howard Boydwww.outrageandoptimism.org/episodes/adaptation-emma-howard-boyd?hsLang=en
Outrage and Optimism podcast episode on adaptation to rapidly changing climate
World YWCA podcasts
worldywcapodcast.buzzsprout.com
These are a series of conversations prepared by World YWCA about the state of women’s rights, humanrights, and social justice. They include:
Building a Movement: Lessons from the work of activists who have kept their reach and impact ongoingfrom Kenya and Belarus.
Online Advocacy: Lessons on empowering women and girls using the Internet and social media from
Kenya, Norway, and Poland.
2020 Throwback: Organizing & Acting for Peace & Justice: Episode 1 from Geneva Peace Week 2020
Policy Action: Lessons from active work done on improving policies focused on the sphere of public health,gender equality and development in South Africa and Palestine.
Mobilizing a community: Lessons from campaigns about Gender-based violence, Hostility, and ownershipfrom South Africa, South Sudan and Palestine.
2020 Throwback: Organizing & Acting for Peace & Justice: Episode 2 from Geneva Peace Week 2020

Mental Health
1.

2.

3.

4.

129

A Young Woman’s Toolkit for Advocacy on SRHR & Mental Healthwww.worldywca.org/team/a-young-womans-toolkit-for-advocacy-on-sexual-reproductive-health-rightsand-mental-health
A World YWCA toolkit on advocacy on SRHR & mental health for young women
A Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Toolkit
www.orygen.org.au/About/Orygen-Global/Files/Orygen-WEF-advocacy-toolkit
An Orygen and WEF toolkit on global youth mental health advocacy
Types of mental health problems
www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems
An article describing mental health problems by Mind UK
Integration of mental health and HIV interventions (World Health Organization)
A joint publication by UNAIDS and WHO emphasizing the importance of integrating HIV prevention,

5.

6.

testing, treatment and care and mental health services for people living with HIV. It provides a compilationof tools, best practices, recommendations, and guidelines that facilitate the integration of interventions
and services to address the interlinked issues of mental health and HIV.
25 Ways You Can Practice Self-Care Every Single Day
www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a24886599/self-care-routine-tips
An article by Women’s Health magazine on various self-care routines
Podcasts: List of feeling goodfeelinggood.com/list-of-feeling-good-podcasts
A curated list of podcasts that focus on improvement of mental health

Learning Skills
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit
www.advocatesforyouth.org/component/content/article/608-creating-safe-space-for-glbtq-youth-a-toolkit
Advocates for Youth toolkit on creating safe space for GLBTQ youth (provides link to download the pdf file)
A Conceptual Model of WOMEN AND GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT
docs.gatesfoundation.org/Documents/BMGF_EmpowermentModel.pdf
A Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s brief describing a model of women and girls’ empowerment andreviews the practical implications of using the model to inform work in women and girls’ empowerment.
LEADERSHIP Skill Development Video
www.careergirls.org/video/become-a-leader
Career girls skills development video (provides links to download additional material)
Skills4Girls: Girl-Centered Skills Development; A Learning Agenda
www.unicef.org/media/83876/file/S4G-Learning-Agenda.pdf
A UNICEF collaborative publication on findings after an exploratory review of implementation andevaluation of skills-building initiatives for girls’ empowerment, with a specific focus on those that weregirl-centred in their design and implementation.
Podcast: Empowering Women to Build Skills Needed for the New Economy
apuedge.com/podcast-empowering-women-to-build-skills-needed-for-the-new-economy
An American Public University podcast episode on the various issues women have and how they canempower themselves.
Podcast series: Transforming the world for girls
odi.org/en/insights/multimedia/podcast-series-transforming-the-world-for-girls
An ODI three part podcast episode on gender norms; challenges associated with changing gender norms;
and opportunities available to change gender norms.
Podcast: 7 podcasts to listen to for Female Empowerment
matchstickcreative.co.uk/7-podcasts-to-listen-to-for-female-empowerment
Matchstick creative article on podcasts that focus on female empowerment

SGBV
1.

130

Preventing Violence against Women: A Primer for African Women’s Organizations
raisingvoices.org/resources/preventing-violence-against-women-a-primer-for-african-womens-organizations
This primer, developed with the African Women’s Development Fund explores a feminist approach topreventing violence against women in Africa, outlines current evidence and unpacks key controversies in
VAW prevention programming.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Infographic: Preventing Violence Against Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic
raisingvoices.org/resources/infographic-preventing-vaw-during-the-covid-19-pandemic
This is a series on preventing violence during COVID-19. Sustained activism and prevention programming
remains vital during the COVID-19 pandemic — as does addressing the immediate risks to women andchildren posed by lockdowns and other COVID-19 requirements which can exacerbate violence, isolate
survivors and limit access to essential services. This series offers practical ideas and strategies to activist
organisations working to prevent violence during these challenging times.
GBV Case Management and the COVID-19 Pandemic
www.sddirect.org.uk/media/1882/guidance-on-gbv-case-management-in-the-face-of-covid-19-outbreakfinal-draft.pdf
GBViE Helpdesk UK note on case management with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic
Case Management, GBVIMS/GBVIMS+ and the COVID-19 pandemic
www.gbvims.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/GBV-Case-Management-GBVIMS-GBVIMS-and-the-Covid19-Pandemic_GBVIMS_March_2020.pdf
GBVIMS note on case management with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 and violence against women. What the health sector/system can doapps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331699/WHO-SRH-20.04-eng.pdf?sequence=1&is
Allowed=yThis is a WHO resource outlining what health systems can do in response to violence against women and
COVID-19.
Intergenerational action for gender based Violence: co-creating the future. Week without Violence2021
www.worldywca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/WEEK-WITHOUT-VIOLENCE-2021-TOOLKIT.pdf
www.worldywca.org/team/week-without-violence-2021
This World YWCA toolkit provides content, ideas and suggestions for organizing and advocating during
the week without violence

Podcast
1.

2.

3.

4.

131

GBVIMS, GBVIMS+, Case Management and COVID-19
www.gbvims.com/covid-19
GBVIMS note on service provision of GBV service with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic
Not Just Hotlines and Mobile Phones: Gender-based violence service provision during COVID-19
www.unicef.org/documents/gender-based-violence-service-provision-during-covid-19
UNICEF note on service provision of GBV service with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic (provides
link to download pdf document
Tools & Resources for Thematic Areas
gbvaor.net/thematic-areas?term_node_tid_depth_1%5B121%5D=121
GBV AoR-UNFPA tools and resources on service provision for various thematic areas (provides links todownload relevant tools).
Disability Considerations in GBV Programming during the COVID-19 Pandemic
www.sddirect.org.uk/media/1889/gbv-aor-research-query_covid-19-disability-gbv_final-version.pdf
GBV AoR note on information and practical guidance to support gender-based violence (GBV)
practitioners to integrate attention to disability into GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response efforts
during the COVID-19 pandemic

5.

6.

7.

8.

A Guide to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Legal Protection in Acute Emergencies
reliefweb.int/report/world/guide-sexual-and-gender-based-violence-legal-protection-acute-emergencies
War Child Canada’s guide to sexual and gender-based violence legal protection in acute emergencies(provides a link to download the guide in pdf)
The Good School Toolkit
raisingvoices.org/children/the-good-school-toolkit
Raising voices toolkit for schoolwide influence on operational culture focusing on four relationships: teacherstudent, peer-to-peer, student- and teacher-to-school, and parent- and community-to-school governanceRapid gender analysis
insights.careinternational.org.uk/in-practice/rapid-gender-analysis
Care International report on gender analysis; a systematic attempt to identify key issues contributing togender inequalities (Provides in-article links to download the approaches, guidelines, tools, learning andresources)
Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action Reducing Risk,
Promoting Resilience and Aiding Recovery
gbvguidelines.org/en
GBV pocket guidelines for integrating gender based violence interventions in humanitarian action(provides links to download the guidelines in different languages)

SGBV, faith and feminism
1.

2.

3.

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Men and women in partnership: Mobilizing faith communities to address gender-based violencewww.researchgate.net/publication/315998705_Men_and_women_in_partnership_Mobilizing_faith_
communities_to_address_gender-based_violenceThis paper contributes to the debate on gender-based violence (GBV) interventions should be framed
within ‘women’ or ‘men’ movements or integrate other dimension including the role of faith communities
and organisations in the prevention and response to sexual and gender based violence. It argues that
there is a need, particularly within faith communities in the Global South, to explore the notion of an
integrated approach. The dominance of restrictive patriarchal structures means that men, and especiallymale faith leaders, need to be systematically targeted and incorporated into faith-based intervention
strategies, as partners in addressing the issue.
Engaging Faith Actors on Gender Based Violence (GBV): Best practices from the NCA Global GBV
Programme 2016-2019www.partner-religion-development.org/fileadmin/Dateien/Resources/Knowledge_Center/2018engaging-faith-actors-on-gender-based-violence.pdf
This publication highlights best practices in faith actors’ work on gender injustice, its root causes andits consequences.it seeks to inspire organisations and religious institutions to be at the forefront tocontinuously address gender injustices.
Inter-Faith Toolkit to Combat Gender-Based Violence
www.humanityinaction.org/news_item/news-item-international-landecker-reshma-persaud-interfaithtoolkit/#:~:text=The%20toolkit%20calls%20faith%20leaders,and%20support%20victims%20and%20survivors
This toolkit calls faith leaders to action in protecting women, girls, and gender nonconforming individuals
in their communities. It explains how the pandemic has increased gender-based violence and the ways inwhich faith leaders can intervene and support victims and survivors.

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World YWCA – YMCA Week of Prayer & World Fellowship 2021
www.worldywca.org/team/world-ywca-ymca-week-of-prayer-world-fellowship-2021
While the ongoing global pandemic continues to impact our everyday lives and present new changes
and challenges, the World Week of Prayer’s theme invites us to reflect on the process of healing andrestoration. This resource seeks to encourage reflections during service to communities with the spirit offorgiveness and inclusiveness, ensuring dignity for all and celebrating God’s unconditional love.
Restoring Dignitiy: A Toolkit for Religious Communities to End Violence Against Women
www.igwg.org/k4h-toolkit/gender-based-violence-includes-fgc/restoring-dignitiy-a-toolkit-for-religiouscommunities-to-end-violence-against-womenThis manual is intended for religious leaders, communities of faith and inter-religious councils. It offers
guidelines for programs that try to prevent violence against women. The first section of the manual
reviews the nature of violence against women; the second section offers tools for action in eight areas:
education and awareness; prevention; advocacy; organizing an inter-religious retreat; support and care;addressing justice: ending impunity; partnering with the media; and monitoring and evaluation.
IGWG Gender and Health Toolkit
16 Days of Activism Toolkit
www.episcopalrelief.org/what-we-do/integrated-approach/16-days-of-activism-toolkit
This toolkit is intended to inspire faith-based action and prolonged reflection on ending gender-based
violence. It has 16 Actions, parallel to the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. Each action
starts with a relevant scripture or quote, followed by a fact sheet, an action step and a reflection.
Gender, Sexuality and Faith: A Toolkit
www.comminit.com/health/content/gender-sexuality-and-faith-toolkit
This interactive toolkit seeks to support faith communities and faith leaders working to promote social
justice in relation to gender and sexuality. The toolkit contains six modules: Sexuality and gender diversity;
Sexual and reproductive health and rights; Sexual and gender-based violence; Women, gender and power;
Culture, tradition and faith; and, Being accountable, becoming allies.
Restoring Dignity, A Toolkit for Religious Communities to End Violence Against Women
www.healthpolicyinitiative.com/Publications/Documents/1032_1_RESTORING_DIGNITY__End_
Violence_Against_Women_Toolkit_acc.pdf
This toolkit offers religious leaders, faith communities and Inter-religious leaders the tools to carry out
awareness and prevention and advocacy programs to help bring an end to violence against women. It has
two sections on education and awareness, and Restoring Dignity
Religion, Development and GBV: Recommendations for a Strategic Research Agenda For the PaRD
Gender Equality and Empowerment Work-stream
www.partner-religion-development.org/fileadmin/Dateien/Resources/Knowledge_Center/JLI_PaRD_
Research_agenda_Religion_Development_and_GBV.pdf
The purpose of this report is to assist in the identification of the specific contributions it can maketo assist in remedying the lack of knowledge and evidence on the intersections between religion,
development and GBV.

ANNEX 5: RISE UP! GUIDE UPDATEThe journey to produce the new Rise Up! Guide for
Young Women’s Transformative Leadership brought
together the World YWCA and the TorchlightCollective, an international, multidisciplinary
consulting group that undertook this important task.
Women, young women and girls were central to every
step of the process, each of which weaved into the otherto co-create this tool based on the existing evidence ofthe power of young women’s transformative leadershipto increase the knowledge, confidence and opportunities
available to young women, and to positively impact
upon gender equality and the realisation of young
women’s rights in their home and community.
The consulting team started with a desk review ofdifferent resources available — including the previous
version of the Rise Up! Guide — to better understand
YWCA’s approach and guiding principles toleadership. The initial feedback was collated into big
picture recommendations on content and structurethat were then reinforced and expanded during theconsultation process.

List of documents and videos reviewed by
the Torchlight team:• Rise Up: Guide for Young Women’s
Transformative Leadership• Envisioning 2035
• Goal 2035: Theory of Change• World YWCA Strategic Plan: 2020-23• World YWCA Boilerplate on Leadership• Supporting Young Women’s Leadership in
Asia and the Pacific: Research Brief• Feminist MEL• World YWCA Virtual Safe Spaces• Safe Spaces Training Guide• World YWCA Feminist Consultation
Methodology• World YWCA Glossary and Definitions• World YWCA Boilerplate on SDGs
• World YWCA Boilerplates on Peace, GBV,SRHR, etc.
• Rise Up: Guide for Young Women’s
Transformative Leadership (Pocket Edition)• Empowering Young Women’s Leadership in
Asia & the Pacific (video)

Understanding the importance of centring the voices of young women through participatory research thatrecognises them as co-producers of knowledge, the World YWCA Feminist Consultation Methodology wascritical to design and implement the second phase of the process (conducted in February-March 2022).
Through a mix-method approach for their data collection, the consulting team deep dived on the participants’experience with leadership training; the meaning of leadership and the role of young women leaders; barriers
to and success stories about young women’s leadership training; and feedback about how to improve young
women’s leadership training, including the RiseUp! Guide. These methods followed the safe spaces principles
of accessibility, safety and privacy, leadership and participation, accurate and reliable information, trust andcommunity, inclusivity, holistic approaches, intergenerational cooperation, dignity and respect, and partnershipand accountability to ensure that young women participants could share their experiences, opinions, and views
without fear of political, economic, or personal harm.

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ONLINE SURVEY• Languages:
English, Spanish, French• 236 responses

OPEN SESSIONS/ FOCUS GROUPDISCUSSIONS• 3 open sessions• 14 participants• Key YWCA cohorts,
including former
RiseUp! Country
Coordinators, YWCA
leaders from the
movement, andGeneral Secretaries(World and Member
Associations)

IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS
12 in-depth interviews
with participants inthree groups of key
YWCA cohorts, including
former RiseUp! Country
Coordinators, YWCA
leaders from the
movement, and General
Secretaries (World andMember Associations)

METHODS
The analysis of the findings showed similarities in the reflections, insights, and feedback shared throughout theconsultation process. Overall, participants had a common sense of what leadership means and often framed itin the context of serving others and working together / helping others to achieve a common goal.
Participants also outlined many of the same barriers, particularly cultural barriers to women, young womenand girls undertaking leadership training and initiatives; the masculine and ageist bias in leadership; the lack ofcommunity support and willingness to see young women as leaders (which may include backlash against them);
access to dedicated programs that support young women’s leadership, language that is difficult to understand;lack of training that applies to their context; and logistical challenges.
The importance of a well-trained facilitator was deemed an important aspect in overcoming these challenges
and having a successful training. Other important enablers to harness young women’s leadership are thewidespread promotion of their rights; the creation of safe spaces; building peer networks to allow young women
to work together; modeling of strong inter-generational leadership, and the support of local communities.
Participants were interested in learning more about key human rights issues — 7 issues were identified by young
women themselves during the consultation process, as well as developing skills in creating safe spaces, project
management, building partnerships and networking, among others. Participants also gave similar feedback on
the layout of the manual, calling for more clarity, better visuals, more interesting colors, and a diversity of tools(i.e. digital and audiovisual assets).
This renewed and improved version of the Rise Up! Guide is the result of this co-creation process and collaborative
journey, which holds inclusion, diversity and feminist principles and practices at its very core. Young women fromaround the world — from within and beyond the YWCA movement — actively participated in defining the process,building the methodology, and validating the final product; a living document that challenges the dominant
approaches to leadership and supports the collective power of women, young women and girls around the world
to achieve justice, peace, health, human dignity, freedom, and a sustainable environment for all people.

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linktr.ee/WorldYWCA