Emerging Leaders
The WILL Empower Emerging Leaders Cohort Program convenes a dynamic and diverse cohort of approximately 20 womxn. These womxn discuss and shape their leadership plans and trajectories. Together, they work to cultivate political voice, enhance organizer sensibilities, provide peer-coaching and care/resilience accountability for one another. This program connects an intergenerational network of womxn leaders across diverse sectors and organizations of the workers’ movement including unions, worker centers, and research institutes, other forms of worker justice organizations.
Eligible participants must work in a worker justice organization, including unions, worker centers, or racial and economic justice organizations where workers’ well-being is central to the mission. We are seeking applicants with at least 2 years of work experience in a worker justice organization who are 35 years old and younger OR applicants with between 2-5 years of work experience who are 35 and older. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to improving the working lives of womxn and be willing to meet the requirements of the program.
Why focus on women’s leadership now?
Increasingly womxn* – and specifically womxn of color – are leading today’s workers’ organizations. In addition to unions, new forms of worker organizations have attracted more communities of color, immigrant and U.S. born workers, to the labor movement. #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #FamiliesBelongTogether and “essential worker” movements are advancing racial justice, immigrant justice, and ending sexual harassment/assault along with just and equitable working conditions and protections for all workers. During this unprecedented time of pandemics and uncertainty, it is essential that we build and sustain the next generation of womxn leaders in labor for greater and more inclusive gains in the future.
The term “women” encompasses cisgender, transgender, gender non-conforming, those who self-identify as women, and across a range of gender expressions.
Meet Our Emerging Leaders (2022-2023)
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Meet Our Emerging Leaders (2019-2020)
Click HERE for full-sized profiles
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