Applications to the 2nd cohort : Women in Government Fellowship 2023

Application deadline 30th November 2022

​Femme First Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation committed to amplifying women’s leadership in Indian politics through capacity-building, mentorship, and advocacy. Our aim is not limited to increasing women’s representation but also to enhance the quality of their representation.

​Globally, it has been established that women political leaders tend to emphasize social issues, such as child-care, equal pay, parental leave, and pensions; physical concerns, including reproductive rights, physical safety, and gender-based violence; and development which includes human development, poverty alleviation, and public delivery of services. Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, Goal 5.5 explicitly highlights the aim to “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life”. We are working towards unleashing the potential of gendered leadership in India by facilitating capacity-building, mentoring, training, peer-networks etc.

The Women in Government Fellowship is a six-month program that is focused on capacity-building, training, and mentorship of women in politics. It seeks to enhance and improve the quality of political participation of women.

The fellows will undergo in-person workshops, intensive virtual learning sessions, and hands-on mentorship by seasoned women politicians. This three-pronged approach will provide an academic grounding of democratic frameworks and policy-making, up-skill them with practical know-hows of electioneering, build the fellows’ personal brands through personalised Public Narrative trainings by coaches from Harvard Kennedy School, and learn the ropes of politicking directly from a mentor who is undergoing the realities and tackling the challenges of being a woman in public office.

​The objectives of the programme are:

• To equip with skills and strategic knowledge to effectively run for office, legislate, and govern

• To develop a deeper understanding of the nuances and challenges of the Indian democratic system and various political theories, and to gain exposure to policy-framing under renowned practitioners and domain-experts

• To provide mentorship to navigate the labyrinth of the political world directly from seasoned women politicians

• To build a network of women leaders, policy experts, and campaign professionals to form partnerships and draw upon shared knowledge and exchange best practices

Shortlisted applicants’ interviews: 5-15th December 2022

Selected Fellows list: 21st December 2022

Timeline:

January to June 2023 : Virtual learning (approx. 8 hours/month)

Dates yet to be fixed : In person workshop (2 days)

May – June 2023 : Virtual learning + Mentoring sessions

Eligibility criteria:

• Women who have contested election at any level i.e college, university, RWA, local govt, MLA etc

• Women in nominated political party positions for at least 3 months

• Women who have worked in civil-society/media/policy organisations for at least 12 months

• Women who are/were LAMP/Acumen/Gandhi/Teach for India Fellows and aspire to join politics

• Must be an Indian Citizen 

If you don’t fit in any of the above but think you deserve a seat, write to us at contact@femmefirst.org

Intake will be on the lines of the previous cohort.

Though the overall program cost is INR 2 lakh/person, we are charging a discounted nominal fee of INR 35,000/- only. Admission fee waivers (up to 100% scholarship) are available on merit-cum-means basis.

WIG Fellowship Application Form

TO KNOW MORE CLICK HERE