WYDE Women’s Leadership Initiative in Lesotho

Implemented by BAM Group Foundation through a grant from UN Women under WYDE I Women’s Leadership – funded by the European Union

RACE FOR PARLIAMENT

Building political literacy, leadership confidence, and governance knowledge among young women through district-based leadership training and practical political engagement.

MENTORSHIP & COACHING

Connecting emerging women leaders with mentors, coaches, and role models to strengthen leadership skills, confidence, networks, and long-term participation pathways.

FEMINIST DIALOGUES

Creating inclusive spaces for critical conversations on gender equality, women’s leadership, social norms, and collective action for transformative change.

MEN AS ALLIES

Engaging men, community leaders, and influential stakeholders as champions of gender equality and advocates for women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.

COALITIONS & ADVOCACY

Strengthening collaboration among women’s rights organisations, youth groups, disability advocates, media, and governance actors to drive coordinated advocacy and policy influence.

MEDIA & PUBLIC AWARENESS
Using radio, digital platforms, storytelling, and public campaigns to challenge stereotypes, amplify women’s voices, and promote positive perceptions of women’s leadership

1. Background and Rationale

Women and young women in Lesotho continue to face structural, social, economic, cultural, and institutional barriers that limit their participation in political leadership, governance, public decision-making, and civic engagement processes.

Despite ongoing national and global commitments to gender equality and inclusive participation, women remain underrepresented in political leadership and governance structures, particularly at decision-making levels. Young women and women with disabilities face additional barriers related to access, visibility, participation opportunities, social norms, and inclusion.

At the same time, there is increasing recognition among governance institutions, civil society organisations, feminist movements, development partners, and community stakeholders of the need to strengthen evidence-based approaches to advancing women’s participation and leadership.

The Baseline Study Programme is designed to generate foundational evidence and contextual understanding to inform implementation, monitoring, advocacy, learning, and adaptive programme management under the WYDE Women’s Leadership Initiative.

The study will assess:

current participation and leadership dynamics,
barriers affecting women’s participation,
perceptions and social norms,
stakeholder ecosystems,
participation opportunities,
and institutional and community engagement environments.

The baseline will establish reference points against which programme progress, outcomes, learning, and impact can be measured throughout implementation.

The study will also support:

evidence-based advocacy,
adaptive programme design,
stakeholder engagement,
policy dialogue,
and strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems.

The initiative contributes directly to the WYDE objective of strengthening women’s leadership, participation, inclusion, and evidence-based democratic engagement processes.

Roles and Responsibilities

BAM Group Foundation (BGF)