Australia Awards Women Leading and Influencing

About us

Australia Awards Women Leading and Influencing (WLI) (2022-2026, $8m) is on-Award (in Australia) and reintegration (in Pacific) enrichment program of the Australian Government to support Pacific Australia Awards scholars and alumni build skills and networks to exercise leadership in their communities. The program seeks to amplify the development value of Australia Awards scholarships for women and men scholars and supports participants to understand the process of development and their part in it.

WLI provides a range of leadership learning, networking and professional development opportunities, structured in three tiers, summarised in Figure 1 below. This allows scholars and alumni to engage at a level that suits their individual interests and availability.

12 WDLP participants dressed in bright colours, closely lined up with their arms around each other and their reflection visible on the blue platform in front of them. — Women's Developmental Leadership Canberra intensive 2024 cohort. Credit: DFAT.

Program goal and outcomes

The goal or higher-order purpose to which this investment contributes, is: WLI alumni are contributing to the development and gender equality outcomes of the Australia Awards and their own countries.

The End of Program Outcome of WLI is: WLI women are leading and influencing on development issues in their contexts.

The three Intermediate Program Outcomes are:

IPO1: WLI women are more confident leaders who use their skills and knowledge to influence change in their context
IPO2: WLI men understand and take steps to support women's developmental leadership
IPO3: WLI women and men expand and engage with their networks to address development challenges in their contexts.

The Enabling Outcome for WLI, which underpins and contributes to the achievement of other program outcomes is: WLI generates practice-based research and knowledge that informs the program and contributes to broader understanding and valuing of women's developmental leadership and how to support it.

The Theory of Change (Figure 2, following) shows that WLI can contribute to program outcomes and long-term change by providing opportunities and spaces for 'motivated and strategic individuals'—with a focus on women but also engaging men—to learn new leadership skills, connect with each other, and work together to influence and lead change.

Figure 2 WLI Theory of Change

Steering Committee

Steering Committee members play an important ongoing role in supporting and promoting the program, providing ongoing contact and connection with alumni on their return home, and fostering productive linkages between the Pacific and Australia.

Steering Committee members are:

Adi Tafuna'i, Executive Director Samoa Women in Business Development Incorporated (Chair)
Hon. Kessy Sawang MP, Member of Parliament, Papua New Guinea
Jessica Bulger, CEO, Australian Indigenous Governance Institute
Marlene Delis, Kokoda Program Manager, Australia High Commission Papua New Guinea
Nanette Tutua, Entrepreneur and Indigenous Business Advocate of Solomon Islands
Teretia Tokam, Coordinator, Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre, Kiribati
Rhona McPhee, Director, Global Education and Scholarships Section, DFAT
Director, Gender and Culture Section, Office of the Pacific, DFAT

Current Steering Committee members are anticipated to remain in place for the duration of the program phase (to 30 June 2026).

Program Implementation

DT Global is the implementing contractor for Australia Awards Women Leading and Influencing. Under direction from DFAT, the international WLI program team of specialists develops and implements a program of activities informed by experience with approaches to women's developmental leadership.

Activities and events

Learning and networking (Tier 1)

Events are held online and in person around Australia and the Pacific throughout the year and are open to Australia Awards scholars and alumni of all genders.

Attendees are exposed to a range of Pacific and Australian leaders speaking on and exploring key issues and challenges in our region, including barriers to gender equality and leadership approaches to tackling them.

Developmental Leadership (Tier 2)

Through a range of offerings over 18 months, participants establish the foundations of developmental leadership, develop their own leadership style, and foster regional and country-based connections to drive lasting change. Alumni of the program continue to access bespoke support to exercise developmental leadership upon their return to the Pacific.

Workplace internships and professional development opportunities (Tier 3)

Women's Developmental Leadership Program (WDLP) participants and select LeadershipConnect participants can apply to undertake a workplace internship or professional development opportunity to enhance leadership capacity.

Taking a range of forms depending on the location, interests, and resources of the participant, these experiences develop leadership and professional skills and forge lasting relationships and networks.

All internship proposals demonstrate a clear benefit to the participant, the participating organisation and the Pacific region, whilst not taking the place of, or resembling, formal employment.

Alumni participating in these opportunities often describe them as one of if not the most influential experiences of their WLI journey.

Find out more What we do (wliprogram.org)

Contact

For further information about Women Leading and Influencing program contact: info@wliprogram.org.

Research products

Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility undertook a two-phase research project on behalf of DFAT to see how networks are being used to support and drive change:

Other research includes:

Approaches to engaging men in support of women's leadership in the Pacific (November 2023) [PDF]

Countries, economies and regions

Stakeholder engagement

Development

Travel advice

International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

Passports

24-hour consular emergency helpline

Visas

Australia Awards