Program Overview
Thank you for your interest in applying to the 2026 VV Engage program, a signature fellowship for outstanding women public leaders who are shaping and influencing policy across the world.
Supported by Freeport-McMoRan, this 10-month fellowship is designed to strengthen the capacity, decision-making power, and effectiveness of women leaders in public life. The program fosters bipartisan collaboration, challenges and shifts cultural perceptions of women’s public leadership and advances progress toward equality in public representation globally.
Through this fellowship, we aim to work towards a more inclusive and equitable world by advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a particular focus on SDG 5: Gender Equality. The curriculum will include leadership, strategic communications, political strategy, and governance in partnership with the Council of World Women Leaders (CWWL) and professors of the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).
Upon graduation, fellows will have access to a global network of changemakers engaged in crucial work in government and civil society across the globe.
About Vital Voices Global Partnership
We are facing the world’s toughest challenges of all time – climate crisis, systemic and widespread racial injustices, violence against women, growing economic divides and inequity, increased instability and much more. The world needs women to help solve the problems that are affecting people in their communities and around the globe.
For over 25 years, Vital Voices Global Partnership has been investing in women leaders addressing these challenges. We know that women aligned with our leadership model lead differently, and we work to celebrate and share what makes their leadership transformational: inclusion, equity, and a commitment to breaking down barriers. We have cultivated a network of over 49,000 changemakers across 195 countries daring to reimagine a more equitable world for all. We proudly serve as “venture catalysts”, identifying women leaders with a bold vision for change and partnering with them to make their vision a reality. We help them scale and accelerate their impact through long-term investments to expand their skills, connections, capacity, and visibility.
Program Description
VV Engage Program participants will:
- Join a cohort of 25 women public leaders committed to advancing inclusive governance, strengthening public leadership, and driving systemic change.
- Complete the Vital Voices Leadership Journey, a virtual leadership development course grounded in more than 25 years of experience working with leaders from around the world.
- Engage in the Vital Voices Engage curriculum, designed to strengthen core public leadership skills, including political strategy, governance, strategic communications, and community mobilization.
- Participate in interactive small-group discussions and peer learning experiences.
- Benefit from mentorship opportunities with members of the Council of World Women Leader (CWWL).
- Attend an in-person convening in the third quarter of 2026 (location to be confirmed), to deepen learning, relationship building, and foster collaboration.
- Share knowledge, exchange experiences, and build lasting connections with a global cohort of peers.
- Join the Vital Voices global network of more than 49,000 women leaders, with from around the world with full access to the Network Hub and ongoing continued learning and engagement opportunities.
What You Will Gain:
Through participation in the program, participants will:
- Strengthen their leadership capacity through the Vital Voices Leadership Journey (VVLJ), enabling them to lead with purpose and inclusively.
- Build comprehensive public leadership skills by enhancing decision-making, governance, strategic communication, and political strategy to effectively influence policy, mobilize stakeholders, and advance equity and SDG-aligned systemic change.
- Join the VV Engage alumni community of over 190 alumni worldwide, with access to ongoing virtual programing and continued engagement opportunities.
- Become part of the Vital Voices global network of over 49,000 women leaders, with full access to the Network Hub and continuous learning education and engagement opportunities.
- Receive a certificate of completion upon successfully completing the program. .
Fellowship Overview:
The program runs for 10 months (June 2026 through March 2027), with bi-weekly meetings and unfolds in the following phases:Phase 1: Virtual Leadership Skills - At the start of the program, fellows will participate in sessions centered on the Vital Voices Leadership Journey’s five core leadership practices. They will engage in small-group discussions and learn from guest speakers across the Vital Voices network.Phase 2: Virtual Practical Skills - The program then transitions into a hands-on learning experience, where fellows gain practical knowledge of legislative processes, stakeholder engagement, and effective advocacy strategies to drive policy change. Through sessions on political strategy, governance and strategic communications, fellows refine their leadership approaches to meet the demands of public leadership. They also strengthen their ability to influence policy and public systems while developing compelling narratives to advance their work.Phase 3: In Person Convening - The program culminates in an immersive, multi-day in-person convening designed to deepen fellows’ capacity, decision-making power, and effectiveness as women leaders in public life while fostering a strong sense of community and shared purpose. Centered on peer-to-peer learning, the convening provides opportunities for fellows to learn from one another’s lived experiences, leadership journeys, and policy work through facilitated discussions, group sessions, and informal dialogues. The experience includes peer-led discussions, reflections on impact, strategic partnership development, and tailored leadership and policy workshops, complemented by mentorship touchpoints and office hours. This intentionally designed environment fosters trust, open communication, and a strong sense of community, enabling fellows from diverse regions and governance contexts to exchange ideas, apply insights in real time, and identify opportunities for cross-country and cross-sector impact.