This year’s Mandela Day theme, “It’s Still in Our Hands to Combat Poverty and Inequity,” reminds us that lasting change begins with access. As the Young Women Empowerment Consortium (YWEC), we took this call to action seriously by creating spaces where young women could see, hear, and experience what leadership looks like in practice. YWEC is a student-led organization funded by the Global Fund for Women, at Waterford Kamhlaba UWC in Eswatini. We aim to give young women who are already engaged in work that empowers women in their communities the tool to accelerate their impact. Since our launch last year we have worked with hundreds of young women all around Eswatini and continue to grow our network bit by bit. Our recent job shadowing experiences with the European Union Delegation in Eswatini and the Central Bank of Eswatini placed girls directly into environments that are often distant from their daily realities. These experiences were more than just tours they were moments of learning, exposure, and empowerment.

At the EU Delegation, students engaged in meaningful conversations with female staff members who shared their journeys, responsibilities, and the broader role the EU plays in development work across Eswatini and the region. They explained how the EU supports human rights, education, and peacebuilding through its funding and partnerships. Meeting and hearing from the EU Ambassador was a powerful reminder that leadership is within reach for young African women and that diplomacy and international relations are not out of bounds.

At the Central Bank Of Eswatini, the experience was even more immersive. Students rotated through departments such as law, cybersecurity, communications, and human resources. This behind-the-scenes view offered insight into how a national institution manages and protects the economy. It also highlighted the wide variety of roles available in finance and governance many of which are often male-dominated. By seeing women at work in these fields, students left with new perspectives and aspirations.

This is how we fight inequality. This is how we begin to dismantle poverty. We bring girls into spaces that shape the future, and we remind them that they belong there too. Through accelerating the job prospects of young girls in our community we were able to directly play a role in eradicating poverty.

" Young women stepping into power gaining
insight and inspiration at the EU
Delegation and Central Bank through
Mandela Day job shadowing "