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Background: Women in the Global South remain underrepresented in high-level leadership
positions in global health. Three academic institutions developed the Women in Global
Health Leadership Fellowship (WGHLF) to build and strengthen the capacity of emerging
women leaders in global health in Kenya and South Africa.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate how well the program met its
intended outcomes in its first two years of operation.
Methods: Twenty-eight participants (12 in 2024 and 16 in 2025) were evaluated.
Participants included early- to mid-career women working in health policy, practice, and
academia. We analyzed pre- and post-assessment data, mid-year surveys, and focus
group responses.
Results: Participants reported considerable knowledge and skill gains in global health
policy, gender equity, leadership, and mentorship as well as increased confidence in their
ability to succeed in higher-level leadership roles. Participants also noted an increased
ability to lead gender equity projects at their workplace. Reported program strengths
include high participant engagement, collaborative teaching approaches, growth in
participant self-awareness, and the practical application of knowledge through their
required leadership projects.
Conclusions: The WGHLF improved participants’ confidence in advancing gender equity
practices in local, regional, and global health. This type of fellowship training, offered
in partnership between institutions in the Global North and Global South, can serve
as a collaborative model for others seeking ways to help qualified women prepare for
higher-level leadership positions, which are crucially needed to advance gender equity
and local health systems |
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