CALD Participates in the 2024 IFLRY Female Leadership Academy: Empowering Future Women Leaders

The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) was represented by Program Officer Chelse Racar Caballero and Communication Officer Julienne Janolo-Faustino at the recent Female Leadership Program organized by the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) and Centerpartiets Internationella Stiftelse (CIS) last August 22 – 25, 2024. This global event gathered aspiring women leaders and activists from 12 different countries, providing them with training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to enhance their leadership skills and political participation.

The event was held in Taiwan, a country known for its progressive approach to gender equality, freedom, and human rights. Taiwan’s political landscape has been a model, particularly in its representation of women in politics and its strong gender movement, which has led to significant legislative advancements such as women-friendly divorce laws and parental leave policies. Taiwan is also the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, which shows further its commitment to equality and inclusion.

One of the program’s highlights was a field trip to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwan’s Gender Equality Department. Participants engaged in a panel discussion with Yen-Jong Lee, Director of the Gender Equality Department, who shared insights into the department’s initiatives, best practices, and the challenges they face in promoting gender equality. The DPP’s Gender Equality Department stands out as a unique entity in Taiwan’s political landscape, being the only political party with a dedicated department for gender equality. Yen-Jong Lee also highlighted the achievements of the DPP’s women leaders and the legal framework supporting gender quotas in Taiwan. DPP Youth Director Juan Chun-ta discussed the department’s role in empowering women and youth while Dennis Yang from the International Affairs Department shared the department’s efforts in advancing the female leadership agenda and its collaboration with organizations like CALD.

The program also addressed the critical issue of mental health, particularly its impact on women leaders, through a session led by IFLRY Vice President Hania Knio, from Lebanon. She emphasized the challenges women face in balancing leadership roles with societal expectations. “The pressure to do it all can lead to chronic stress and burnout. It’s crucial to acknowledge that striving for this unrealistic ideal can be detrimental to our mental health.” Hania provided practical tips for maintaining a healthy mental balance, stating the importance of self-care in leadership.

A session was led by Novita Hardini, a member of the Indonesian Parliament and the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), where she shared her journey of overcoming barriers to rise as a female leader in Indonesia. Her session, entitled “Cultural Climb: Overcoming Tradition and Barriers,” encouraged participants to also reflect on their own challenges and consider potential solutions. A panel discussion was also organized which included DPP Deputy Director of the Gender Equality Department Tsai I-wen, Chang Yuan Ting from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and New Taipei City Councilor Chen Nai-Yu. These leaders shared the realities and struggles they face as women within their own departments and emphasized the ongoing need for more women in the political sphere.

The participants also explored the importance of personal branding, with Hania leading a discussion on how to effectively present oneself as a leader. In a more personal and reflective activity, the participants identified the values they hold closely to their characters as previous activities posted questions on how well they know themselves and what were their aspirations, motivations, and inspirations for being a female activist. This was followed by a collaborative brainstorming session, where participants, guided by IFLRY Secretary-General Tirza Drent from Netherlands, developed project ideas aimed at empowering others and advancing the cause of women in leadership.

To close the program, IFRLY shared this message with the participants: “If you have any stories about your country that you’d like to share, please reach out to us. If you have any achievements, news, or updates, we’d love to hear them. Remember, within this group, you have people who support you, celebrate your successes, and are cheering you on, no matter how far apart we may be.”

Reflecting on the experience, Chelse said: “It is always remarkable to build new connections, listen to refreshing perspectives on different issues, and still find common ground in crafting solutions that will help us deepen our views and generate quality self-reflection. And it is far more thrilling to think that these initiatives and conversations by these amazing women and youth happen in the same room as we are.” Echoing on those thoughts, Julienne also shared that: “Working with CALD, I’ve seen time and again how programs like this create powerful and inspiring leaders, and of course, build long-lasting connections. We return to our countries and organizations with minds ready to tackle any obstacles and hearts full of inspiring stories and warmth from the bonds we’ve formed. We are incredibly thankful to IFLRY and CALD for this opportunity.”

IFLRY has been a longstanding partner of CALD Youth, continually supporting initiatives that empower young leaders across the region.