British Council launches Women in Leadership Programme online course

The 2024 WiL initiative integrates two existing programmes, namely the leadership for gender equality and a peer mentoring programme conducted online since 2020.

 British Council in Bangladesh has unveiled an eight-week online self-access leadership course as part of its Women in Leadership (WiL) programme. 

The 2024 WiL initiative integrates two existing programmes, namely the leadership for gender equality and a peer mentoring programme conducted online since 2020.

The primary objective is to empower emerging women leaders by imparting essential leadership skills and capacity-building to foster gender equality and women's leadership within their respective sectors and communities.

In collaboration with Clore Social Leadership, Wave Foundation, and the Bangladesh Civil Service Women Network (BCSWN), the British Council is currently conducting the WiL programme from January to March 2024. 

The programme offers 30 emerging women leaders from BCSWN and 20 young women professionals from diverse sectors a digital fellowship. This fellowship includes training, online networking, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities.

The programme features six virtual speed mentoring sessions with prominent women activists, who will share their lifetime experiences on gender equality, women's empowerment, and social leadership. 

Additionally, six webinars will allow participants to share insights and experiences, culminating in a day-long networking and celebration event, the WiL Summit, scheduled for March 2024 in Dhaka. This event will facilitate engagement between women leaders, policymakers, and civil society members on critical thematic issues.

Participants will leverage online learning to refine leadership skills and build cross-cultural connections within the region and the UK. The programme aims to demonstrate effective leadership actions that promote decision-making, influence, and innovation in participants' respective sectors, contributing to progress in gender equality. By fostering social capital growth, the WiL programme empowers participants to make significant strides toward achieving gender equality and inclusion.

The WiL programme welcomes a diverse group of 50 participants, including 30 government women professionals from the BCS Women Network and 20 women professionals from the British Council Alumni network. The first batch of 30 government women professionals successfully participated in a virtual orientation programme on January 22, 2024.

Saila Farzana, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration, said, “The alignment of the BCS Women Network’s vision and mission with the goal of promoting gender equality and women’s leadership within the cadre service makes the programme a significant step forward. 

“As women continue to strive for leadership roles, we not only strengthen our cadre service but also set a positive example for future generations. The collaborative effort supports the mission and vision of the BCS Women Network and contributes to building a more equitable and empowered workforce.”

Tom Miscioscia, Director Bangladesh, British Council, said, “As is well-documented, women and girls continue to be globally underrepresented in leadership roles across various sectors - including politics, entertainment, business, IT and other industries. At the British Council, we are proud to support the development of women’s leadership through our Women in Leadership (WIL) programme, which in recent years has reached 304 female leaders across South Asia, including Bangladesh. 

“The programme is run in partnership with Clore Social Leadership (UK) and the Wave Foundation (Bangladesh) and provides participants with a digital fellowship, including training, mentorship and networking opportunities.”