Scholarships for African women in leadership and peace-building are now open for applications.

The prize is open to young African women, particularly in conflict-affected contexts, who are interested in pursuing careers in research, policy and practice in the field(s) of peace, security and development. The scholarships is designed to expose African women to approaches to security and peacebuilding by using leadership studies to analyse and develop their expertise to generate ideas and processes for African-led change. The scholarship aims to anchor this expertise on peace and security in integrity and the pursuit of excellence.

The grant is part of various regional and global frameworks for peace and development, including :

• United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions 1325 and 2250, which call for greater involvement of women and young people in peace processes.
• Sustainable development goals 5- Gender equality and 16- Peace, justice and strong institutions
• African Union Agenda 2063 - Aspiration 4- A peaceful and secure Africa, Aspiration 6- An Africa whose development is people-centred, building on the potential of the African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children and Aspiration 7- Africa as a strong, united, resilient and influential global actor and partner.

The fellowship programme is well balanced and aims to build the expertise and capacity of African women, putting them in a position to challenge the dominant and patriarchal discourse on conflict and security issues. At the end of the programme, Fellows acquire academic knowledge, research skills, mentoring training, practical experience and are put in touch with a network of renowned African experts in the field of peace, security and development to launch their careers.

Phases

The programme is divided into two phases:

• Step 1: The first phase consists of a programme 12-month training programme based at King's College London. This phase will include regular group mentoring sessions with leading academics, policy analysts and practitioners. It will also include a Masters programme in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding, which will be taught at King's College London. For much of this phase, Fellows will be based at King's College London. In addition, Fellows will spend short periods at the African Leadership Centre (ALC) in Nairobi and at the Institute Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Nairobi, where they will be required to undertake research and present research papers on peace, security and development in Africa.
  • Institutional visits: During the 12-month period at King's College London, Fellows will visit academic, policy and research institutions working on peace, security and development issues.
• Step 2: In the second phase, fellows will be attached to partner universities or centres of excellence in Africa for a period of 6 months. During this period, Fellows will work as faculty members and contribute to academic and policy research, among other activities. The aim of this phase is to encourage the dissemination and exchange of ideas on the issues that were studied during the first phase of the programme.
  • Research project: During phase 2, Fellows will also be required to carry out a research project on a key aspect of peace, security and development, and to produce a research report and policy brief based on their research. These findings will be published and disseminated via platforms and publications academic and political contexts. This research and writing phase will last 6 months.
  • Mentoring : During both phases, Fellows will have access to the programme's network of mentors, in the form of regular group mentoring and training on key thematic issues. One-to-one mentoring sessions will also be encouraged, to help guide students through the programme.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be citizens of African countries. Candidates from conflict-affected contexts are encouraged to apply.
• Successful applicants must be in possession of valid travel documents before being accepted.
• Applicants must have a master's or bachelor's degree, and additional professional experience will be valued.
• Candidates must have knowledge or experience of issues relating to women's rights, gender equality and development.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate their commitment to contributing to work on peace, security and development in Africa and show how a postgraduate degree would enable them to do so.
• Candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to undertake research on issues relating to peace, security and development in Africa.
• Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the core values of the programme: Promoting African-led ideas and processes of change; Independent thinking; Integrity; Pursuit of excellence; Recognition of youthful agency and respect for diversity in all its forms.
• Applicants must have a demonstrable plan for how they will use the knowledge gained from the scholarship on their return to their country and/or organisation.
• Applicants must be fluent in spoken and written English as all aspects of the programme are delivered in English. An English language proficiency test will be required for unconditional acceptance onto the MSc.

For more information For more information, visit the King's College London website.