Agrifood Leadership Education Programme (ALEP) - Young Women's Empowerment 2026

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Applications are open for Agrifood Leadership Education Programme (ALEP) – Young Women’s Empowerment 2026. The IYWF calls for targeted action to strengthen the empowerment of women working across agrifood systems. In this context and in line with the World Food Forum (WFF) Global Youth Action Initiative (Youth Initiative)’s priority to empower young women, the WFF Youth Education Programme, in collaboration with Climate Bridges, will support the leadership and career development of more than 100 young women from countries with WFF National Youth Chapters in 2026.Through the Agrifood Leadership Education Programme (ALEP), young women aged 18 to 35, will gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to design and lead advocacy projects in their communities to address the most pressing challenges faced by young women in agrifood systems.

Agrifood Leadership Education Programme (ALEP) Programme Structure

The ALEP is a one-year capacity development programme built around three progressive pillars:

1. Explore

Equips participants with technical knowledge and soft leadership skills.
Delivered through masterclasses on the WFF Youth Skills Hub.
Focus areas:
- Practical tools for advocacy.
- Leadership confidence and orientation.
- Employability enhancement.
Participants will formulate impactful local advocacy project concepts, connected to their National Youth Chapters and WFF outcome documents.

2. Encourage

Provides personalized mentorship with experienced women leaders in agrifood systems.
Builds network development through interactive group sessions with inspiring women worldwide.
Monthly mentorship sessions and online discussions will:
- Share challenges, achievements, and lessons from women driving agrifood transformation.
- Inspire participants to take action on local agrifood challenges.
- Refine advocacy project concepts to ensure they are realistic, holistic, scalable, and sustainable.

3. Experience

Five participants will advance to the final phase.
They will receive grants to implement selected advocacy projects.
Projects will:
- Address community-level agrifood challenges.
- Focus specifically on benefiting young women.
Successful participants will graduate as agrifood systems education leaders.
Pre- and post-programme surveys will capture feedback for future editions.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

Education funding resources

Apply systems thinking to analyze agrifood systems and identify sustainable, gender-responsive solutions.
Design, manage, and implement evidence-based advocacy projects.
Collaborate with peers, community groups, and partners to deliver educational and youth engagement initiatives.
Communicate effectively through inclusive dialogue, storytelling, and ethical leadership practices.
Demonstrate confidence, resilience, equity, and integrity in leadership roles.
Apply soft skills such as communication, negotiation, organization, and self-management.
Reflect on personal and collective actions to promote sustainable agriculture and advance FAO’s Four Betters.

Eligibility Criteria for Agrifood Leadership Education Programme (ALEP)

Required

Young women aged 18–35 years old (as of 31 December 2026).
Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.
Demonstrated interest in community action through volunteer or professional experiences, preferably in agrifood systems, international development, policymaking, or advocacy.
Must be nationals of, or based in, a country/territory with a WFF National Youth Chapter.
Must be proficient in English.

Desirable

Project management experience (independent or team-based).
Interest in capacity development or training sessions on agrifood topics.
Experience or interest in gender-related issues.

Geographic Diversity

Participants will be selected from countries and territories with a WFF National Youth Chapter structure.
This ensures broad representation, inclusivity, and varied agrifood system contexts.

Programme Timeline (2025–2026)

Dec 2025 – Jan 2026: Call for applications, interviews, and participant selection.
Feb – Jun 2026: Technical and soft skills masterclasses; mentorship sessions.
Jun – Jul 2026: Encouragement sessions with global women leaders.
Jun – Oct 2026: Project implementation phase.
Oct 2026: WFF flagship event showcasing outcomes.

How To Apply for Agrifood Leadership Education Programme (ALEP)

To submit an application, candidates are required to follow the steps listed below:

Review the brochure
Check your eligibility
- Confirm that you meet all eligibility criteria before preparing your application materials. Please refer to page 2 of this document.
Prepare your application materials
- Your application must include:
- Motivation statement (maximum 300 words)
- Written proposal (maximum 400 words)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Complete the application form and submit:
- For the Written Proposal and CV, please upload them to a Google Drive folder and share the link in the application form. Make sure the link is accessible to anyone with the link, as inaccessible files will not be considered.

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Application Deadline: 07 January 2026