School for the Advancement of Gender Equality – Call for Participants

CSI will convene a face-to-face Kick-Off Workshop for selected participants in each target country of the programme: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The one-day kick-off workshop will be led by the project team. It will be highly interactive and will also be a great opportunity for participants to network and build their community by getting to better understanding “who does what”, what are the current practices and approaches of the participating organisations in the areas of gender equality and gender advocacy, along with their current needs in terms of the expertise, knowledge, tools. The event will provide an overview of the working modalities of the Advanced Gender Advocacy programme, as well as other components of the one-year programme.

All participants will be invited to join the Online Community of Practice (CoP), which brings together both graduates and current participants of the programme. The CoP will allow participants to exchange views, practices, share and learn from each other, as well as expand their networks.

Following on the Kick-off workshops, as well as building on the successfully implemented Advanced Gender Advocacy Programme (Cohorts 1 and 2: 2021-2023), participants of Cohort 3 will attend an Online Advanced Gender Advocacy Programme that will feature more than 10 thematic areas, delivered within 10 to 12 weeks, tailored to the areas of interest of the participants. Participants are expected to dedicate between 4-5 hours per week.

The programme will highlight the value of the ecosystem-based approach to gender advocacy and gender equality; provide tips for career development for professionals working in the field of gender advocacy; with support with practices related to institutional readiness for gender advocacy; bring in elements of Trainer of Trainers (ToT); present gender advocacy tools through the lens of various sectors such as education, health, climate change, procurement, domestic violence, others. The programme will also focus on important aspects of conducting research and data based/evidence-based approaches for policy development, along with monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).

Each theme/topic will be led by a national or regional expert, with practical experience in the field.

Each week will have a topic/theme. Participants will have access to reading materials and an expert video presentation on each topic. Additionally, each week, a thematic online workshop will be organised by the thematic expert to discuss, debate, learn and share with participants more in-depth on the topic; the week will culminate with an assignment. All assignments will be graded, and participants who will accumulate at least 70 points total, will be eligible for a Certificate for Successful Completion of the Programme. Participants will have access to an online platform where all materials will be made available on a weekly basis. Additionally, participants will receive weekly updates on their progress, with feedback from the expert of the week and a number of points accumulated per week.

Following the completion of the Advanced Gender Advocacy Programme, the Small Grants component will provide graduates of Cohort 3 with the opportunity to move from theory to practice, and more specifically, supporting and advancing gender equality in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan through innovative interventions which have a transformational potential. The programme encourages out-of-box thinking, participatory research, using open data and evidence-based approaches along with advocacy.

Towards the end of the programme, CSI will organise a two-day Regional Forum which will bring together successful graduates of Cohort 3, including the Small Grants finalists & implementers.

The Forum will be organised in a country other than the target programme countries. This will allow participants to get familiarised with good practices in the field of gender equality and gender advocacy of the host country. (i.e. The Regional Forum 2022 - 2023 was organised in Almaty, Kazakhstan).

The main purpose of the Regional Forum is to strengthen the Community of Practice (CoP) of gender advocates from both target countries; provide opportunities for participants from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to share, exchange views and practices, present, debate, moderate discussions on a wider spectrum of gender advocacy issues. The Forum also aims to showcase good practices and learn from their civil society peers in the host country of the Forum, establish partnerships and explore potential future cooperation opportunities.

The Regional Forum culminates with a Certification Ceremony.

This year's ideal candidates for the SAGE applicants are professionals in public service and decision-making positions, as well as parliamentarians and public figures interested in gaining knowledge and international experience in the advancement of gender equality.

The School also does not exclude women and men in leadership positions in organisations; researchers or gender activists independent or affiliated with a non-profit legal entity such as civil society organisation, think tank, community-based organisation, registered network, university or research center-based in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

To be considered for SAGE, all applicants must demonstrate:

• Good understanding of gender equality issues.
• Experience in implementing advocacy campaigns, projects or initiatives, whether at the local or national level, experience in using social media tools for gender advocacy campaigns, content promotion, etc.
• Experience in implementing initiatives and projects aiming at expanding equal opportunities for women and adolescent girls to training and education, health care, job opportunities, entrepreneurship activities, access to economic resources, others.
• Experience in, knowledge of, and motivation to support promoting women in leadership positions (national level or local level) and ensuring equal opportunities for their growth and development.
• Experience in elaborating and promoting contents (video materials, articles, etc), addressing the problem of women and girls in their respective country is a strong advantage.
• Organisational capacity to develop and implement project proposals, financial reporting and working with donors.
• Motivation to become part of a broader Community of Practice and be an active contributor to it.
• Access to reasonably stable Internet connectivity.
• Fluent Russian, knowledge of English is an advantage.
• Availability to participate fully in all programme activities both face-to-face and online.
• Optional: Experience and knowledge aimed at assisting in the development, compliance and implementation of new and existing laws and policies on gender equality, reviewing discriminatory nature, as well as changing social norms and practices towards greater respect for and implementation of equal rights of women.

University of Central Asia’s Civil Society Initiative is a diverse, inclusive, and equitable initiative, which encourages all interested applicants, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, or disability, to apply.