© NGO Forum on ABD
© Forus
2025-06-11
Lessons from powerful women leading in turbulent times
Discover 5 key learnings from the Forus Leadership Development Programme - Cycle 5 ! The programme develops entrepreneurial, forward-thinking leaders who will redefine how civil society organisations networks operate.
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Strengthening national and regional platforms leadership means embracing diversity
How are current formations of civil society creating an enabling space for all voices to co-drive powerful social transformations?
Twelve Forus member organisations - who completed the 2024 Organisational Self-Assessment and have not participated in a Forus Leadership Development Programme (LDP) cycle before - joined Cycle 5. For the first time, since 2017, this cohort was made up entirely of women leaders from five different regions, occupying diverse roles including Executive Directors, Board Chairs, Operations Managers, Team Leaders, and Membership Liaisons.
Meet participants here.
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Learning happens through experience, curiosity and relationships.
Leave the classroom behind!
Thanks to our longstanding partnership with Tamarind Tree Associates, the LDP was once again facilitated by Nomvula Dlamini, who brings over 3 decades of experience in creating spaces for activists to grow as system-thinking community organisers. Her methodology centers on experiential learning, storytelling and building trustful relationships to spark self-awareness, critical thinking and imagination.
Read about the previous LDP cycles in the Future Convergence Barefoot Guide capturing the stories of the first 4 cycles and produced during the 2020-2021 lockdown.
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The journey began with a Research Task
Before meeting in person, all 12 participants engaged in a powerful task - holding inspiring and reflective conversations with their colleagues, partners, family and most importantly, with themselves. They explored the following themes:
Transformative Civil Society Formations and Strategies
- From your experience as leaders of NGO platforms and civil society networks, what formations (e.g., organisations, networks, alliances, platforms) around the world are stimulating transformative change beyond donor-driven projects?
- What are the key strategies and innovative practices or approaches are they employing to create meaningful impact?
- Where are these examples located, and what future potential do they represent for the broader civil society landscape?
Engaging Stakeholders and Expanding Influence
- How are some civil society platforms building relationships beyond their core members to engage diverse stakeholders and expand their reach and impact?
- What strategies are proving effective for negotiating and collaborating with governments, donors, private sector actors, or social movements?
- What key competencies and leadership capabilities enable this kind of strategic engagement?
Leadership for Complexity and Change
- In a rapidly changing world marked by uncertainty and complexity, what is the real work of leadership?
- How can leaders move away from heroic or hierarchical models to more inclusive, facilitative, and empowering leadership styles?
- What does it take to shift power and foster collective leadership within organisations and networks?
- What practices and inner qualities help leaders cultivate inclusive, humanising cultures while catalysing learning and innovation?
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Capacity-building alone is not enough to face patriarchal systems – Women’s Leadership is Inclusive Leadership.
During a four-day retreat in Manila, Philippines (4 to 7 March 2025) participants shared powerful insights on navigating shrinking civic space, threats to CSO autonomy and credibility, and the ongoing challenges of limited resources.
They reflected and spoke openly about the resistance women leaders often face and emphasized —transformational change requires working across the entire ecosystem. Women leadership is a movement rooted in identity, ancestral wisdom, and the silent acts of resistance that have paved the way.
Watch a recap of the week here.
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Returning home with purpose and momentum
The retreat fostered a strong community of practice. Participants returned to their organisations with renewed confidence, equipped with practical strategies, and with a deeper sense of shared purpose. In the second half of 2025, all Forus members will be invited to an open session of the 5th cycle of the Leadership Development Programme to meet and hear participants Return-Home Projects and about their overall experience in the programme.
Save the date: August 2025
How to join? Join this conversation now by sharing on your social media page your own answer to any of the Research Task questions using the hashtag #MarchWithUs #ForusLDP
Leadership Development Opportunities now open!
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