Serving Central America, Cuba and The Caribbean

November, 2019

Woman Leadership Academy (WLA) Training

Panama City, Panama

The WLA training program seeks to prepare and empower a group of young women to establish themselves as leaders involved in the critical issues facing their communities. The program selected ten women who were current university students and who showed potential and interest to further their leadership capacity, knowledge of group management, and their interpersonal & organizational skills. In total, ten participants were selected from among 30 candidates. The trainees received travel assistance to attend an intensive training program conducted by The ADEN International Business School at the ADEN University campus, an accredited university located in Panama City, Panama. To maximize the program’s impact, the young women were asked to commit to share what they learned with at least four other women in their communities within their first year following their return to their countries.

The participants were selected after grading as potential leaders. Their backgrounds were diverse and included human rights, private enterprises, social work, education, and missions. Besides ADEN Business School educators, the trainees received hands-on training from community non-profit experts. We are especially grateful for the collaboration of La Red Democrática de Mujeres, and from the Indigo Youth Leadership Community Center. Every day, the workshop covered different topics, these included: Fundamentals of Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Women Empowerment, Conflict Resolution, and Strategic Planning, among others.

In Central America and the Caribbean countries, it is now more than ever a challenge for young women to emerge as leaders in their sectors of society. There is a need for a generation of young female leaders that will not only act in leadership towards the current social and political issues they face, but also set an example for generations of women to come.