FAQs

Feminist Leadership is about so much more than recruiting more women into leadership positions. It’s about applying feminist principles to the way we lead in order to achieve our social justice aims and to ensure that everyone is able to thrive in the places we work. It is about subverting traditionally masculine notions of leadership and changing the way power is normally exercised in the workplace. It is something that can be practised by anyone, no matter who they are.

We believe leadership is a very political process, and that strong, inclusive leaders need to be able understand and democratise the way they think about and exercise power and privilege. We don’t shy away from exploring how issues of inequality and systems of oppression affect our own approaches to leadership and the experiences of those we work with. We designed our 12-week online programme with feminist approaches to learning and try to create a ‘feminist classroom’ in all that we do.

By ‘emerging leaders’ we mean anyone who has recently stepped into a leadership role, whether formally, or informally, or who has plans to do so. Previous programme participants, however, have included CEOs - so if you are a more experienced leader and have questions about whether the programme is right for you, please read the question below.

Please note that the programme was designed specifically for emerging leaders. However, if you are in a senior leadership role and have not previously explored feminist leadership or feminist ways of working, then we believe you can still get a lot from this programme - as have previous participants in these positions. The course provides a dedicated and structured space to think about important issues that might otherwise be overlooked. You will be introduced to feminist perspectives on concepts such as power and intersectionality and learn how to integrate these into your leadership practices.

This course is designed for individuals at all levels of knowledge, from those just beginning to explore the theory of feminist leadership to those who are more experienced with feminist thought. Our programme centers the work of feminists from Global Majority countries and we try to decentre Western-centric feminisms. Additionally, our approach to intersectionality is central to the course. We aim to dismantle hierarchies of knowledge and welcome varied and multiple ways of knowing in our feminist classroom.

That’s OK! Weekly participation will ensure you get the most from the programme so we encourage you to attend as much as you can but we understand that life happens. Your feminist leadership journey is in your hands, so you will get out as much as you put in, and we are here to support you along the way. Not all weeks include live sessions - we include reflection weeks which enable you to complete the assigned tasks at your own pace and break weeks to rest. We aim to record all the live sessions and these recordings will be available to you for up to two months so you can catch up. If you have concerns or questions about the content you missed, Leila and Natalie are available to support you to catch up.

Yes, absolutely! We usually try to schedule the sessions to make them accessible to people in a range of different time zones. For our September 2025 group, we are currently only offering one group, though this may change as demand increases. Make sure you check the programme schedule in advance of booking. Please note that regular access to internet connection is important for the live sessions in particular. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us directly.

The 2025 programme takes place over 12 weeks from January 2025. We include two break weeks in the programme to allow participants the chance to rest and reflect. There is a final session a few weeks after the end of the course for participants to gather together to reflect on their experience and share what they have been able to put into practice.

The programme includes reading and critical reflection activities in some weeks. These activities can be completed in your own time during the course of that week. The other weeks comprise live webinars - visit this page to view the dates. Bank on spending up to a couple of hours per week on the course - with the exception of two designated training days in which participants will spend about six hours together, spaced over the course of each day.

Leila and Natalie co-founded We Are Feminist Leaders as an independent initiative fuelled by our shared passion for feminist leadership. But we stand on the shoulders of giants - our work is heavily influenced by brilliant feminists from around the world. In particular, we owe a huge debt to the pioneering work of Srilatha Batliwala. Today, we work with a small team of feminists based all over the world. Visit our about us page to find out more about who we are.

Absolutely! We want our programmes to be as accessible as possible and keep aside a set number of spaces per training cycle for participants who cannot pay the full amount. Visit our Sponsorship page to find out more.

No. The concepts and leadership principles we will be discussing are relevant to leaders from across sectors. Previous participants have worked in academia, non-profits, local government, and so on.

We take an intersectional approach to feminist leadership that challenges binary understandings of sex and gender. People of diverse genders are welcome on the course - including trans and gender non-conforming people. We expect all participants to show respect and care for participants with genders different to their own.

Yes, we would love your support to help anyone not in a position to access the programme. If you are an organisation or individual wishing to support the cost of sponsoring an individual to attend, please email us on hello@wearefeministleaders.com to find out more. 

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