Jakarta, Indonesia – August 25, 2020
The U.S. Mission to ASEAN hosted the 6th Women’s Leadership Academy for the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), with implementing partner Wedu, from August 10 to 24. Thirty-eight women leaders from civil society, government, and the private sector representing all ten ASEAN countries and Timor–Leste convened virtually for the workshop. The Women’s Leadership Academy provided a platform for these leaders to participate in seminars and workshops that challenged them to reflect on personal and professional goals and to further develop their leadership skills.
During the virtual workshop, the participants interacted with and learned from international mentors and speakers, including Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN Melissa A. Brown and the Ambassadors to ASEAN from Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The Women’s Leadership Academy, which was planned for in-person sessions in Jakarta, shifted to a virtual workshop format due to the pandemic. Throughout the over 40 hours of activities, participants explored topics related to personal branding, innovative problem-solving, fundraising, and the connection between women’s empowerment and economic development.
Having completed the Women’s Leadership Academy, the participants will join YSEALI’s growing network of young changemakers and become part of the YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy Alumnae Network. The goal of this group is to foster a strong community of female leaders across the ASEAN region.
YSEALI is the U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen human capital development in Southeast Asia. YSEALI is open to young people from all 10 ASEAN member countries and Timor-Leste. There are more than 5,000 alumni of YSEALI programs, and nearly 150,000 young people are members of the YSEALI Network.
For more information, please contact YSEALI@state.gov or visit yseali.state.gov.