Deadline: 18th October 2020
Applications are now open for Australia Awards Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) Leadership & Mentoring Program 2021 for female scholar from the Pacific & enrolled at an Australian university for Semester 1
Launched in June 2016, the Women’s Leadership Initiative is a five year, $5.4 million initiative of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade committed to Pacific women’s leadership through learning, networking and mentoring.
The Initiative is a targeted and coordinated approach to see women’s leadership flourish and to consolidate people-to-people links in the region. Through a range of individual and team activities, women and their male colleagues are challenged to consider gender and development while consolidating their personal and collective skills and ambitions.
Eligible Pacific countries
We encourage applications from women who are citizens from any of the following Pacific Island countries:
| Cook Islands | Nauru | Solomon Islands |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Niue | Tokelau |
| Fiji | Palau | Tonga |
| French Polynesia | Papua New Guinea | Tuvalu |
| Kiribati | Republic of Marshall Islands | Vanuatu |
| New Caledonia | Samoa | Wallis & Futuna |
Requirements Australia Awards Women’s Leadership Initiative
Applicants are required to complete and submit the online application form in one sitting. You cannot save as you go.
Please have the following ready before you start the application form:
| Item | Check | ||
| 1. | Up-to-date curriculum vitae / resume | (In Word or PDF) | |
| 2. | Passport biodata page | (JPEG or PDF, less than 2MB) | |
| 3. | Copy of Australian Visa | (JPEG or PDF, less than 2MB) | |
| 4. | Recent head shot photo for publicity purposes | (JPEG, less than 2MB) | |
| 5. | Contact details of two referees | (Name, relationship to participant, phone number, email address) | |
| 6. | Draft answers to longform questions | (Listed below) |
Before starting the application, think about (and draft your thoughts on) the following:
- Leadership is not only management roles and work titles; it’s all the roles that you hold in your home, school, community and workplace. Be ready to detail all the leadership roles you have held.
- Have a clear idea of your own leadership ambitions and the type of development issues on which you would like to lead change.
- We are interested in all development issues, not only those that are gender-based; think broadly and tell us about a development issue in your community, country or region that really interests you.
- You will be asked to explain how you would address this development issue during the program. Be ready to outline the issue and your plan to tackle it (or a small part of it). Think about what activities you would undertake, expected outcomes, possible timeframes, potential stakeholders, who in your existing network can already help, what is already is being done in the region, and why this issue is important to you.
- To have a good understanding about the Leadership & Mentoring program, read through the profiles of current and past Women’s Leadership Initiative participants and download and read the online Women’s Leadership Initiative documents.
- If possible, attend a Learning & Networking event, ask questions, and network with organisers, the panel, and the audience.
- If you know a current or past participant, talk to them about the program and how to strengthen your application.
- Get a friend or colleague to proofread your draft answers to the longform questions (below).
- Double check your spelling and grammar before you submit your application.
Longform questions you will find in the application:
| Question | Check | |
| 1. | Briefly describe the last time you exercised leadership, either in your education, professional life, or in your community. What led you to exercise leadership in this situation, and what did the experience teach you about the process of change? | |
| 2. | Please describe any major achievements associated with your education, professional or community experience (paid or unpaid). This can include awards or scholarships. | |
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Why do you want to participate in WLI?
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| 4. | What are the particular issues affecting your community or country that would benefit from stronger leadership? | |
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What leadership impact do you feel you currently have?
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| 6. | What leadership impact would you like to have in your community or country as a result of your participation in WLI? | |
| 7. | If you could identify one development issue or challenge (in your home country or in Australia) on which you would like to make a difference as a leader over the next 18 months, what would this be? | |
| 8. | What skills do you hope to gain from WLI to help you to address this issue/ challenge? | |
| 9. | All participants on the WLI Leadership and Mentoring Program are paired with an Australian woman mentor. What sort of mentor would you like to work with and why? Please provide as much information as possible. For example, would you like to work with an expert in your field of study/ profession, or with someone who may have different skills/ experience who can support you to lead change on the developmental issue identified above? |
For more Information: Visit the webpage for Australia Awards Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) Leadership & Mentoring Program
 Leadership & Mentoring Program 2021 for female scholar){kind=link}