Southeast Asia Young Women's Empowerment Academy

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is organising a three-days Young Women’s Empowerment Academy in Southeast Asia. The academy is the sixth to be convened by International IDEA under the Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership. The Young Women’s Empowerment Academy is organised in the framework of the European Union (EU) funded Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership Initiative which is implemented in partnership with UN Women, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) under the overall coordination and leadership of UN Women. 

The WYDE Women’s Leadership Initiative is anchored in the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III which identifies advancing equal participation, representation and leadership as a key area of engagement for the EU in its external action. The first-ever EU Youth Action Plan in EU external action also includes increasing the voice and leadership of young people in policy and decision-making, especially young women, as a priority in line with the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020–2024. Within this framework, the EU launched the Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) which seeks to strengthen the rights, empowerment, and participation in public and political life of youth and women as key actors of democratic development. 

The Young Women’s Empowerment Academy is conceptualized in recognition of the persistent and systemic challenges in advancing the transformation of gender social norms and promoting women’s political participation and representation in leadership and decision making at all levels. The Young Women’s Empowerment Academy will bring together around 25 young women in politics and leadership from selected Southeast Asia countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste). The Academy will be conducted in English and will be convened in Bangkok, Thailand.