The UN/UNDP Leadership Academy for Women, launched in 2023, is an initiative focused on advancing women’s participation in decision-making processes. The inaugural edition, held in Madrid in November 2023, brought together women leaders from diverse sectors across the Arab States region—Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Somalia, and Sudan. These leaders not only participated in the Academy but played a crucial role in shaping it. Their lived experiences and insights fed directly into the co-creation of the curriculum, making it uniquely tailored to address the real challenges they face. Over five intensive days, the program emphasized peer-to-peer learning, facilitated knowledge exchange, and featured insights from global experts.

The curriculum was designed to strengthen leadership skills among women from the Arab region, with a particular focus on promoting intergenerational and transformational leadership in times of uncertainty. As a result, participants not only developed action plans for implementing the Academy's principles at the national level but also became the founding members of the Academy’s first alumni network.

The 2024 edition of the Academy, to be held in Doha from 17-20 November, takes on a global perspective with a focus on leading in the digital era. Rapid technological advancements are fundamentally combining governance and political leadership, with digital leadership emerging as a critical issue impacting women across the world, particularly those in leadership roles within fragile states. In particular countries where women’s voter participation remains low, ranging from 5% to 30%, the Academy will convene a select group of experienced and emerging women leaders.

These leaders are essential in ensuring that digital transformation promotes women political participation and fosters inclusive and peaceful societies. The Academy will offer a four-day, intensive in-person program, with over 15 tailor-made sessions designed to empower participants with the skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in the digital age. The program focuses on deepening leadership and policymaking expertise, generating strategic recommendations for the rollout of national academies, and strengthening our expanding alumni network.

Implemented by UNDP’s Democratic Institutions and Processes in the Digital Era team, in partnership with the UN’s Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA-EAD), the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI), and the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar, with support from the League of Arab States’ Electoral Assistance Division (LAS) and the Organization of Arab Electoral Management Bodies (ArabEMBs), the Academy aligns with SDG 5, SDG 16, and Resolution 1325.

The 2024 UN/UNDP Leadership Academy for Women in the Digital Era aims to create a dynamic platform where seasoned and emerging women leaders come together to gain critical skills, knowledge, and networks essential for navigating and leading in the digital era.

At the same time, they actively contribute to the co-creation of a cutting-edge leadership curriculum that draws on their lived experiences, shaping the future of women’s leadership worldwide.