Capacity Building & Leadership Development

Capacity Building & Leadership
Development

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Sample picture from women with disabilities advocates & leadership training in Malawi through UN Trust fund project

CAPACITY DEVELOPEMENT PROGRAM

This program focuses on developing the next generation of inclusive leaders who can influence policy, drive social change,
and ensure that women with disabilities are fully represented in decision-making spaces, from the community to the continental level.

Our capacity development work includes leadership and advocacy training, mentorship programs, organizational strengthening
for women-led organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), and peer learning exchanges across regions. Each initiative
is designed to promote intergenerational leadership, inclusive governance, and sustainable movement-building.

Through this program, DIWA has trained and mentored hundreds of women leaders across 22 African countries, empowering them
to take up leadership roles, participate in regional advocacy processes, and influence policies that promote equality and justice.

The Capacity Development Program aligns with DIWA’s Strategic Plan 2024–2029, focusing on three key priorities:

- - - - Leadership and Governance Training – building strong, ethical, and inclusive leaders within DIWA’s membership and partner networks.
        
        Organizational Strengthening—enhancing institutional effectiveness, governance, and resource mobilization capacity of national organizations of women with disabilities.
        
        Intergenerational Mentorship and Learning—Fostering collaboration between emerging young women leaders and experienced advocates to ensure continuity and sustainability of the movement.

This program is implemented through collaboration with strategic partners, including the African Disability Forum (ADF).
UN Trust Fund, COVAW, Sonke Gender Justice, and Inclusion Africa,
ensuring that capacity development is context-driven, inclusive, and grounded in lived experience.

About

Disabled Women in Africa (DIWA) is a pan-African regional network led by and for women and girls with disabilities. Since 2002, we’ve worked to confront and transform the multiple layers of discrimination they face.