Karen Young Women’s Leadership School (KYWLS)

Goal: To empower young women to realize their potential leadership ability and move towards women’s participation as equal partners with men in decision-making at a community level.

Young Women's Leadership School Field Trip

KWO established the KYWLS in 2001. KYWLS targets young women who are interested in working for organizations, especially the KWO, in their communities to provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to do so. The KYWLS has helped to educate women to fill the gaps left in many organizations as a result of resettlement to third countries.

The school is run for 13 months from May in one year to June the following year. Students are between 18 and 30 years old and come from the 7 refugee camps and 7 districts of Karen State.

Almost all KYWLS graduates now work in organisations in their communities, usually the KWO, but in other CBOs also. Many have been elected as district or camp standing committee members of KWO, and some as the vice chair, secretary, joint secretary or auditor and treasurer in their respective camps or districts which is an outstanding recognition of the capacity of young women.

Young Women's Leadership School in the classroom