Support Women & Girls to Become Leaders & Earners

At Women's Education Project, 2025 has been a year of preparing: welcoming our first 16 Alumnae Fellows, launching our Collaboration Lab training and resource center, piloting LAMP (Leadership Academy in My Pocket) as a mobile-first platform, completing Impact and Needs Assessments, and revising our Leadership Academy curriculum to include future-focused career introductions from our expanded network of mentors, role models and partner organizations.

Entering our 24th year, we are sharing our experiences, equipping NGOs across India to adapt and deliver our proven, spirited Leadership Academy, which our alumnae and students genuinely love. Leading with the values that have guided us since 2002, we are ready to bring sisterhood and mentorship to thousands more young women across India and beyond. It is extremely exciting.

As we enter this season of giving, and of giving thanks, we are inspired, as always, by our students and alumnae, whose courage to transform their lives, and whose generosity in giving back to their peers, families, and communities, is at the heart of what we do. Read some of their stories, and our end of year report, here.

Links:

• WEP Students in the Powered By Women and Girls Festival 13.28

• 2025 End of Year Report (PDF)
  

Women's Education Project's Leadership Academy students participate in a career-readiness program in which they explore career pathways, strengthen essential skills, and build confidence to choose how they live, learn, lead, and earn. Below are just a few highlights of program opportunities, student acheivements and alumnae engagement over the past few months which offer a glimse of the WEP expirience: 

Program Highlights:

• Public Speaking Workshop – Madurai: Students participated in an evening public speaking workshop centered on the theme “When I Am a Leader.” The topic inspired students to think deeply about leadership qualities, responsibilities, and their own aspirations. They spoke with passion, highlighting qualities such as honesty, responsibility, empathy, and courage that they hoped to embody as future leaders. 
• Career Counseling Workshops – Madurai & Ramanathapuram: Leadership Academy students attended full-day career counseling workshops that included sessions on Transferable Skills, Lifelong Learning Mindset, and personalized career & self-assessment sessions. These interactive sessions helped students reflect on their strengths, interests, and long-term goals, deepening their understanding of future career pathways.
• Cybersecurity Awareness – Madurai: On Cyber Security Awareness Day, parents joined their daughters for an interactive workshop on digital safety. The session equipped families with essential knowledge on protecting themselves and their families in the digital world.
• Museum Visit - Madurai and Ramanathapuram: Students visited the Keeladi Museum to learn about the Sangam Age civilization (300 BCE-300 CE.) They engaged actively with the exhibits and museum staff, learning about excavations, urban planning, craft industries, agriculture and trade, and gaining insights into archaeological methods and the importance of preserving cultural heritage. The visit deepened their understanding of Tamil heritage, linked literature with archaeology, and forstered pride in their culture.
• Peer-led learning- Madurai :Students Lakshmi, Vijayalakshmi, and Pavithra led a vibrant peer-learning session on Oyilattam, a traditional Tamil folk dance. They taught their fellow students the steps and rhythm of the dance. The lively atmosphere was filled with music, laughter, and teamwork, creating a wonderful blend of cultural learning and confidence-building. 

Student Achievements

The following are a small sample of recent academic, creative, and athletic accomplishments of WEP students outside of the Leadership Academy:

• Akshaya, a Madurai Academy student currently pursuing her Bachelor of Engineering degree, won Third Prize in a State-Level Speech Competition on Globalisation – Challenges and Opportunities, organized by the PSG College of Technology Alumni Association.
• Antony Priscilla represented the Madurai Leadership Academy in the street play competition at Pragati 2025, hosted by the Department of Hindi at Lady Doak College—winning Second Prize among 15 participating colleges.
• Lathiha of the Ramanathapuram Leadership Academy secured First Place in the District-Level Handball Competition and will advance to represent the district at the State Level.

WEP’s ‘Doors Always Open’ Approach

WEP’s alumnae continue to demonstrate the strength of the Leadership Academy community—returning to use Academy resources and to mentor, support, and uplift current students. 

• Divya recently completed her advanced technical certification and returned to the academy to take her AWS Cloud Computing job examination.
• Shobika, who completed her B.Sc. in Accident and Emergency Science this August, returned to the academy to guide fellow student Harini through her paramedical course counseling, sharing valuable insights from her own academic journey.
• Sangeetha, now working at a fitness center, returned to plan a workshop on healthy diet and fitness practices, promoting wellness among current students.

Links:

• WEP LAMP (Leadership Academy in My Pocket)