Developing Transformative Women Leaders in Africa
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at the
Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)
March 11, 2014
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program
Create positive social change and economic growth through education.
 A 10-year, $500 million global initiative to educate and develop next generation leaders who
will contribute to social and economic transformation.
 A network of 20 implementing partners in 9 countries.
 15,000+ Scholars, 70% of whom will be female: bright, talented young men and women from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have shown leadership skills and a
commitment to giving back.
 A particular focus on Africa.
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Developing Young Transformative Leaders
 Quality education, relevant to economic growth sectors in Africa.
 Mentorship that reinforce the core values of ethical leadership and a commitment to
improving the lives of others.
 Leadership training and opportunities to practice leadership skills.
 Exposure to role models and networks, new disciplines and ideas.
 Spaces for self-reflection and debriefing at key journey points.
 Pathways to internships, employment, entrepreneurial activities, or further education.
 The Scholars Community: a network of young leaders committed to a ‘give back’ ethos.
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Improving Program Quality through Learning
 In June 2013, a subset of Scholars Program partners formed a Working Group on
women’s transformative leadership:
 Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)
 Campaign for Female Education (Camfed)
 Makerere University
 Wellesley College
 University of California Berkeley
 The MasterCard Foundation
 In November 2013, the working group commissioned a landscape scan on women’s
transformative leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa.
 The scan was inspired by a desire to determine the current state of women’s
transformative leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa and to identify key actors in this field.
 The scan examines discourse, programs and pathways.
 Findings will inform the Scholars Program activities related to leadership development.
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Preliminary Findings: Transformative Leadership
in the African Discourse
Though some Western Scholars (Shields, Caldwell et al, van Oord) have started to define
and theorize transformative leadership as a distinct type of leadership, this intellectual
distinction has not yet been done on the African continent.
In Western literature, transformative leadership is described as rooted in ethics, and
features vision, inspiration, synergy, creativity, activism, humility and resolve, and
commitment to social justice, equity and democratic principles.
Some features of transformative leadership are reflected in some of the African literature
on leadership.
 ... leadership that changes the life circumstances on the ground for the average African
citizen (Wandia 2011).
 Leaders are...those who encourage teamwork to ensure hope even in situations of
hopelessness (Phendla 2004).
Ethics does not come through very strongly in the African literature on leadership.
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Preliminary Findings: Women’s Transformative
Leadership in Africa
The literature on women’s leadership in Africa focuses largely on the factors that impede
women’s leadership progression.
Age is a crucial barrier to women’s leadership in Africa.
 Young African women leaders often face multiple structures of oppression (Steady).
 Young women are perceived as ‘inexperienced and unknowledgeable’ (Alpizar and
Wilson).
There are few systematic leadership training programs targeting African women.
Existing leadership programs generally target women over 25, who have already emerged
as leaders.
Women leaders lack self-promotion skills or access to the tools to share their stories with
the outside world.
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Preliminary Conclusions: Program Implications
Formal and informal education is critical for developing women leaders.
Mentorship should be a key component of leadership training programs.
Leadership development programs should target girls and young women, under 25,
demonstrating leadership potential and build on this potential.
Leadership development programs should reflect the key characteristics of transformative
leaders, and explicitly build in a focus on ethics.
Leadership development programs should include an introduction to social media.
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The Scholars Program at Forum for African
Women Educationalists
FAWE is
 A pan-African Non Governmental Organisation,
made up of policy-makers and educationalists.
 Promotes gender equity and equality.
The Scholars Program at FAWE
 $17 million investment over 10 years
 2,000 young people (90% girls & 10% boys)
 Secondary and tertiary education
 In Ethiopia and Rwanda
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Key Program Components

Scholarship package

Institutional capacity support - Gender
Responsive Programming, networking
and partnerships

Tuseme Youth Empowerment leadership, ICT, financial literacy and
entrepreneurship skills

Career guidance and mentorship

‘Give-back’ activities

Scholars Community and Alumni
Association
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Expected Outcomes
 2000 youth access quality learning
 Improved learning school environmentgender sensitive
 Scholars acquire - Leadership, ICT, Financial
Literacy and entrepreneurship skills
 Career exposition and partnership with
industries
 Increased employment and livelihood
opportunities
 Changed social cultural practices and
attitudes to girls education in communities
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For Reflection...
What more can be done to support transformative leadership
development for girls and young women in Africa?
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Thank You!
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