Dear colleagues and partners,
Let Girls Lead is pleased to share the call for applications for our “Girls’ Voices Initiative,” and to ask for your support and
collaboration in disseminating the attached application documents through your networks. This Initiative will amplify the
voices and power of girls to influence the United Nation’s post-2015 development agenda by supporting30-35 girl leaders
to strategically engage with key national decision-makers to support the Girl Declaration in Ethiopia. Similar processes will
be taking place simultaneously in Guatemala, Malawi and Uganda. Leveraging the targets, goals, and global profile of the
Girl Declaration, a global call to action by girl leaders from 14 countries, the Girls’ Voices Initiative (GVI) will contribute to
the global movement for girl-centered sustainable development. Through direct engagement, high-level meetings, and
strategic communications campaigns led by these 30-35 girl leaders,Let Girls Lead will ensure that girls’ needs, potential,
and priorities influence the post-2015 development agenda at the country, regional, and global levels. GVI will also
strengthen the capacity and collaboration of key organizations and networks in Ethiopiato advance girls’ welfare by
leveraging the collective resources, expertise, and ongoing programming of Let Girls Lead.
Let Girls Lead will incorporate the following strategies for the implementation of GVI in each focus country:
1.
Girls at the Center of the Post-2015 Development Agenda:Empowering girlsis at the heart of Let Girls Lead’s
programmatic work. Through the Girls’ Voices Initiative, LGL will strengthen the capacities of 30-35 visionary girl
leaders (ages 10-19) to speak outfor their needs in Ethiopia. The girls will participate in a 3-day workshop from 2022 February, 2015 focusing on leadership development, empowerment, grassroots organizing, public speaking,
media, the United Nations, post-2015 processes, and the Girl Declaration as a tool for organizing. Over the span of
the Initiative, each girl leader will build the capacity of a minimum of 20 other girl leaders to speak out on the
issues that affect them and the priority of girls in their communities.
2.
Girl-led Engagementwith Government Officials and Key Influencers in the United Nations:After the February, 2015
workshop, the girl leaders will participate in meetings with key leaders and influencers from the government and
UN Agencies in Ethiopia to promote girls’ empowerment, the Girl Declaration, and the inclusion of girls in the post2015 UN development agenda.
3.
Girl-centered National Communications Campaigns: In collaboration with Let Girls Lead, the girl leaders will design
and implement a high-level communications campaign to promote girls’ empowerment, the Girl Declaration, and
girls’ voices in the post-2015 development agenda.
As a key institution with proven experience working with adolescent girls in Ethiopia, we are looking to you to ensure that
the 30-35 girl leaders who are selected to participate in the Girls’ Voices Initiative represent the diverse girls of Ethiopia. We
will select a cohort of girl leaders, ages 10-19 years old, affiliated with an organization, and who have received some
previous training on leadership, rights, empowerment,or other relevant topics. We will be selecting two girls per
organization, so they can support each other during follow-up activities. We are looking to include a wide cross-section of
girls in the training, including those who are in school, out of school, girls from cities and from rural areas, young mothers,
girls from each region of Ethiopia, and girls with disabilities. The training will be delivered in Amharic.
The call for applications will close on January 2, 2015. For further information or questions, please contact the Let Girls
Lead Country Coordinator in Ethiopia, Yonathan Menkir, at wisdomssound@gmail.com, withcopy to
letgirlslead@gmail.com.
The enclosed information on LGL and GVI, selection criteria, and application form will provide you with further information
about this process. Thank you for your support and collaboration, and we look forward to working with you to ensure that
girls’ needs and perspectives are including in the global post-2015 agenda.
Sincerely,
The Let Girls Lead Team
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GIRLS’ VOICES INITIATIVE SELECTION CRITERIA
Girl Leader Participant Criteria
To be eligible to participate in the Girls’ Voices Initiative, girl applicants must meet the following selection criteria:
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Be between 10-19 years old,as of September 2015
Be affiliated with an organization that sponsors her application and participation
Passionate about leadership and girls’ empowerment
Have received some prior training in leadership, rights, empowerment,or other relevant topics
Willing and able to participate in a 3-day leadership workshop for the Initiativefrom 20-22 February, 2015.
Commit to training at least 20 other adolescent girls in her community after the leadership training
Fluent in Amharic
Affiliated Organization Participation Criteria
An applicant organization can sponsor the application of up to 5 girls each but no more than 2 girls per organization will
be selected to participate in the Initiative. There must be one complete application per girl applicant.
To be eligible for the Girls’ Voices Initiative, applicant organizations must meet the following selection criteria:
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Legally registered as a non-governmental organization with the Government of Ethiopia
Governed by a Board of Directors or other formal management structure
Committed to adolescent girls’ rights and development
Be able to commit to supporting the selected girl(s) affiliated with your organization to carry out the activities for
the Initiative including:
- Supporting her to complete the application process
- Support her with dissemination trainings as needed
- Any other support, as needed.
Willing and able to nominate an adult staff member to attend the 3 day leadership workshop as a chaperone for
the girl applicant and participate in training activities during the girls’ workshopfrom 20-22 February, 2015.
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GIRLS’ VOICES INITIATIVE APPLICATION
Please refer to the “Girls’ Voices Initiative Selection Criteria”for more information about program application
requirements. Both the girl applicants and the affiliated organizations must complete the application; the deadline to apply
for the Initiative isJanuary 2, 2015.
An applicant organization can sponsor the application of up to 5 girls each but no more than 2 girls per organization will
be selected to participate in the Initiative. To nominate more than one girl leader, please copy and paste “Section 1”
below for each girl applicant. There must be one complete “Section 1” of this application per girl applicant.
Section 1. Girl Leader Information
Each girl applicant should complete this section herself (if able to read and write). She can complete the questions by hand or on the computer. If
completed by hand, please scan and send the application to the Let Girls Lead Country Coordinator, Yonathan Menkir, atwisdomssound@gmail.com. If the
girl applicant is unable to read and write, please contact the Mr. Menkir to discuss other ways for her to apply.
Personal Information
Last name:
First:
Birth date (DD/MM/YYYY):
Place and date of birth (city, region, and country):
Age:
Nationality:
Complete mailing address:
City:
State:
Country:
Postal code:
Email address:
Primary telephone number (please include the Country Code and Area
Code, as applicable):
Mobile Phone Land Line Other _________________________
Alternate telephone number (please include the Country Code and Area
Code, as applicable):
Mobile Phone Land LineOther _________________________
(
(
)
)
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Please check all of the boxes that apply to you. LGL is requesting this information to ensure that the girl leaders who are selected to participate in the
Initiative represent all of the girls of Ethiopia, to the best of our abilities. If you do not feel comfortable disclosing this information on your application, you
are not required to do so.
In school
Out of school
Illiterate
Girl with disabilityCurrently pregnant
Mother
Indigenous
LBT
Living with HIV
Migrant
Domestic worker
Urban
Orphan
Married
Languages spoken (please list all of the languages you speak and indicate your primary language):
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Rural
Caregiver
QUESTIONS FOR GIRL APPLICANTS
Each girl applicant should complete this section herself. Responses should be as detailed as possible. She can complete the questions by hand or on the
computer. If completed by hand, please scan and send the application to the Let Girls Lead Country Coordinator, Yonathan Menkir,
atwisdomssound@gmail.com, with copy to Program Manager, Emily Hagerman, at letgirlslead@gmail.com.
1.
What makes you a leader in your community, school, club, or other group?
2.
a. How are you involved with the organization that is helping you apply for this Initiative?
b.
What activities have you worked on together?
c.
How have they supported you?
3.
What is your favorite thing about being a girl?
4.
What is the biggest challenge that girls face in your community, school, region, or country?
5.
What is your dream for girls in your country? Please provide an explanation for your answer.
6.
Why do you want to be part of the Girls’ Voices initiative?
7.
If you are selected to participate in the Initiative, what do you hope to learn?
Section 2. Organizational Information
Organization name:
Physicaladdress:
Headquarters address (if different):
Phone number (please include
Country Code and Area Code, as
applicable):
()
Web address:
Social media sites (if any):
Email 1 (main):
Date of founding:
Operating budget (total in USD):
Number of employees:
Number of volunteers (if any):
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Email 2 (alternate):
Geographic focus area (national, state, district, other):
Organizational Vision:
Organizational Mission:
Organization’s Main Objectives:
Lead Contact Information
Thelead contact in the organization for the Girls’ Voices Initiative is the person who will participate in the training as a chaperone and
assist the girl applicant with her participation in the Initiative.
First Name:
Position:
Last Name:
Contact email address:
Contact phone number:
Do you work directly with adolescent girls? Yes No
QUESTIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONALCHAPERONE APPLICANT
This section should be completed by the lead contact in the affiliated organization for the Girls’ Voices Initiative who will participate in
the training as a chaperone and assist the girl applicant with her participation in the Initiative.
1.
Please briefly describe how your organization engages adolescent girls on a programmatic level.
2.
What is the general demographic of the adolescent girls (between 10-19 years old) that you engage?
3.
Why is your organization applying to participate in the Girls’ Voices Initiative?
4.
Has your organization engaged in any advocacy for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) or the post-2015 development
agenda?
5.
What are your position and responsibilities within the organization?
6.
How long and in what capacity have you known each of the girls applying to participate in GVI through your organization?
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7.
If girls from your organization are selected to participate in the GVI training in 20-22 February, 2015, will you be available to
participate with them as a chaperone and provide follow-up support after the training to continue to develop their leadership
skills?
SECTION 4. APPLICATION DEADLINE
The deadline to submit your organization’s application is January 2, 2015.
Please send the completed application by email to the Let Girls Lead Country Coordinator in Ethiopia, Yonathan Menkir,
atwisdomssound@gmail.comwith copy to Program Manager, Emily Hagerman, at letgirlslead@gmail.com.
For more information, please visit www.letgirlslead.org.
Thank You!
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