Indigenous Women's Fellowship 2027 Opens Applications

Land is Life has opened applications for the Indigenous Women’s Program Fellowship 2027 – Cohort V, a one-year fellowship supporting young Indigenous women leaders across Africa, Asia and the Americas. The program provides funding, mentorship, training and advocacy support to help fellows develop and implement community-led projects.

Launched in 2022, the Indigenous Women’s Program was created to strengthen the leadership and participation of Indigenous women in issues affecting their communities. The fellowship focuses on areas including land rights, livelihoods, gender equality, environmental justice and community well-being, while supporting Indigenous women to take leadership roles in community development and decision-making.

As part of the fellowship, each selected participant can receive up to $3,000 in funding and technical support to implement a community project. Fellows will also receive a $3,600 participation stipend during the program. Additional support includes personalized mentorship from experienced Indigenous women leaders, bimonthly training, leadership development, networking opportunities and advocacy support.

Key Highlights:

• The fellowship offers young Indigenous women leaders a one-year opportunity for leadership development and community impact
• Selected fellows can receive up to $3,000 in project funding and a $3,600 stipend
• The program supports land rights, climate action, women’s leadership and community well-being

The program enables projects to be undertaken on a variety of community issues. Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation, Biodiversity Protection, Land Rights & Territorial Defense, Food Sovereignty, Agro ecology, Economic Empowerment, Health & Wellbeing and Traditional Governance Systems are among the key themes. Projects are expected to meet the real needs of the community and be a positive step towards more resilient and stronger Indigenous communities.

One of the main components of the fellowship is to promote Indigenous women leadership and gender equality. Fellows are invited to create projects that advance women's decision-making, foster effective community-based responses and facilitate the recognition of land and resource rights of Indigenous peoples. The program also acknowledges the importance of Indigenous women in the defense of territories, the maintenance of knowledge and the empowerment of livelihoods.

The fellowship lasts for one year and fellows will finish their community projects in 10 months. Participants will attend virtual learning sessions, peer-learning and mentoring sessions during the program. The rest of the time will be used to fulfill the wider aspects of learning and participation.

Applicants should be Indigenous women 18-35 years of age from Africa, Asia or the Americas. Participants must not have taken part in past Land is Life fellowships. The program places a priority on applicants who do not have a master's or doctoral degree, and who speak English, French, or Spanish and have not already had a presence in the fellowship in their country.

Good applications will show evidence of a clear understanding of a challenge in a community and will include a realistic project to meet the challenge. Applicants need to describe how their proposed project will engage Indigenous women, support the community, and tie into the themes of the fellowship. They will also be evaluated on their leadership and implementation skills for the project.

The Indigenous Women's Program Fellowship is designed to provide a new generation of Indigenous women leaders the opportunity to further Indigenous community priorities and engage more fully in decision-making forums through financial support, leadership development, mentorship and advocacy. The 2027 cohort will give another opportunity to young Indigenous women to put their ideas into action in the community.