Women represent 49% of Nigeria’s population, yet face significant gender disparities in political, economic, and social arenas. Despite their potential to drive economic growth and development, Nigerian women are underrepresented in leadership roles and entrepreneurship.
"Empowering Young Female Change-Makers Across South-South, Nigeria"
For example women own just 20% of formal sector enterprises and hold only 4% of parliamentary seats in Nigeria. This unequal representation persists, even though research has shown that women reinvest a higher percentage of their earnings into their families and communities compared to men.
To address these disparities, we established She Stands Leadership Academy (SSLA) in 2016. SSLA is dedicated to empowering young women by providing leadership training, mentorship, and opportunities to grow into future change-makers. By building a strong network of young women who support each other, SSLA is creating a generation of leaders who can rise to the challenge of addressing key societal issues, both locally and globally.
Building the Next Generation of Female Leaders
The She Stands Ambassadors Program (STAMP) is designed to identify and support high-potential female leaders. The program consists of three key phases:
Phase 1: Boot Camp
Each year, we issue a call for applications to select 20 talented young women who are passionate about social change and entrepreneurship. These women attend a week-long boot camp where they are trained by accomplished global female leaders in areas such as leadership, sustainable social innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Following the boot camp, the program continues with a year-long mentorship phase, where each participant is paired with mentors who help them refine their leadership skills, develop their projects, and tackle real-world challenges.
Phase 3: Pitch Competition and Graduation
At the end of the boot camp, participants pitch their ideas in a competition. The top 10 projects are selected, and their founders are named She Stands Ambassadors. These ambassadors receive technical support and further development to help them make a lasting impact. The program concludes with a graduation ceremony at the annual She Stands Conference (STC), where the ambassadors are celebrated for their achievements.
Impact Summary
Since its inception, SSLA has empowered over 3,000 young girls through various programs, providing mentorship, training, and inspiration to over 1,000 girls from underserved communities. These girls are equipped to reach their full potential, with many going on to create significant change in their communities.
To date, 14 She Stands Ambassadors have completed the program, many of whom are running successful social innovation projects, businesses, or pursuing careers in leadership positions.
The She Stands Conference (STC), which is held annually, serves as a culmination of the SSLA program. At the conference, participants have the opportunity to interact with high-impact women from various sectors, attend motivational speeches, and engage in panel discussions. Every year, three outstanding female leaders are selected from the She Stands Ambassadors to receive funding support to expand their projects and further contribute to community development.
How SSLA Makes a Difference
Success Stories
SSLA has had a transformative impact on the lives of countless young women. Our ambassadors have gone on to lead impactful social innovation projects, start their own businesses, and mentor other young girls in their communities.
For example, one of our ambassadors used the training and mentorship provided by SSLA to start a nonprofit focused on empowering girls through education and vocational training, which has since reached over 1,000 young girls in rural communities. Another ambassador has launched a tech startup aimed at providing digital skills training to underserved youth.
To learn more about the success stories of our ambassadors and beneficiaries, visit our gallery and explore the incredible journeys of the young women who have participated in SSLA.
Get Involved
You can help support the next generation of female leaders by:
Together, we can create a world where women are equally represented and empowered to lead at all levels of society.
Join us to touch lives!
At Ruderf, we believe true development starts at the grassroots. We empower communities to lead their own development, ensuring our initiatives align with their unique needs and aspirations for sustainable impact.
