DefendDefenders 2022 Safe Sisters’ Fellowship Program Workshop for African Women

Safe Sisters is a fellowship program for women human rights defenders, journalists or media workers that builds capacity to understand and respond to the digital safety challenges that they face in their work and daily life. 

This unique opportunity brings together human rights?defenders and civil society persons?from across?Africa?for intensive training and networking while learning how to strategically employ digital tools across the spectrum of data management, content development, digital security.?The safe sister fellowship is about empowering girls and women working on human rights issues to take control of their space online and information and share with other women. Participants?must be willing to learn in a fast-paced programme?and should have the capacity and commitment to maximize their benefit from the programme.? 

• Table of Content
• About DefendDefenders
• Safe Sisters’ Fellowship Program Workshop
• Aim and Benefits of Safe Sisters’ Fellowship Program Workshop
• Requirements for Safe Sisters’ Fellowship Program Workshop Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About DefendDefenders

DefendDefenders was established in 2005 as the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project and registered as a foreign Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO) in Uganda. DefendDefenders exists to strengthen the work of human rights defenders(HRDs) in the Sub region by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights. The core mandate of DefendDefenders is to promote the safety, security and wellbeing of HRDs. To achieve this, DefendDefenders’ work has to date focused on protection and security management, ... continue reading

Safe Sisters’ Fellowship Program Workshop

Application Deadline	17 Jun 2022
Type	Fellowship
Sponsor	DefendDefenders
Gender	Women

Aim and Benefits of Safe Sisters’ Fellowship Program Workshop

• Participants will be able to take part in?a workshop over a period of?five?days, with?DefendDefenders, to ensure that learning is tailored to the needs of the group.??? 
• The participants?will define and work on their own project throughout the course of participating in?the?workshop and?receive support and mentorship in?realizing?their?project vision.? 
• Participants will also become members of our alumni network after they have gone through the whole cycle, including access to mentors, creatives, safe sister signal group,?a?mailing list, e-learning opportunities,?and priority in subsequent events.?? 
• All?costs related to enabling?participation?in the workshop will be covered by?DefendDefenders. 
• ???Participants shall be given the opportunity to apply for grants for implementation of their own activities, following the successful completion of the fellowship programme.  

Requirements for Safe Sisters’ Fellowship Program Workshop Qualification

Applicants?ought to:?? 

• Apply individually and must be based?in Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and Liberia. 

• Their work should mainly be focused on promotion and protection of human rights.  
• Have?an existing high impact digital project?or idea?they?wish to bring into the?workshop and implement after the cycle of safe sisters.? 
• Have?an open mind to learn and experiment with new?digital?tools and?concepts.?? 
• Applicants should be proficient in English (written, spoken and comprehension). 

Application Deadline

June 17, 2022

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to DefendDefenders on forms.office.com to apply

Selection?into?the?program is highly competitive. We encourage you to apply early and put your best foot forward.?? 

Phase 1:?Fill out this?application form by?17th June 2022.??  

Phase 2: Selection  

Only shortlisted?applicants will be?contacted. 

Phase 3:?Self-study.? 

Phase 4:?Preparation for the workshop.? 

If you are selected to attend the workshops, you must complete several online assignments that will be assigned by?the Safe Sister lead.  

Phase 5: The workshop 

The workshop will take place from the 11th – 15th July 2022?unless otherwise communicated.? 

For any inquiries, please?contact [email protected] and copy [email protected] ? 

Phase 6: Mentorship 

There will be mentorship and financial/technical follow up support to alumni of the fellowship. 

The?Safe Sister?Digital Skills?Fellowship is made possible with the support of the Belgian Development Cooperation – DGD, Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.  

For more details, vsit DefendDefenders website.