Applications are now open for the ARROW – AMwA Advocacy Institute (AAI) 2026 fellowship program, a joint initiative between the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) and Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA). The program aims to strengthen feminist leadership and advocacy capacity among young women and gender-diverse activists from the Global South, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality, and intersectional justice.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ARROW has been a leading regional organization advancing women’s rights across the Asia-Pacific since its establishment in 1993. AMwA, headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, is a pan-African feminist leadership organization that has supported African women’s leadership development for over two decades. Together, they launched the Advocacy Institute as part of a broader strategy to build a transnational feminist movement capable of influencing policy at national, regional, and international levels.
The AAI 2026 fellowship is designed for emerging activists aged 18 to 35 who demonstrate a commitment to feminist principles and have experience in community-based organizing, policy advocacy, or grassroots mobilization. Selected fellows will participate in a year-long hybrid program combining virtual training modules, regional workshops, and mentorship opportunities. The curriculum covers feminist theory, advocacy strategy, digital campaigning, policy analysis, and movement building, with specific attention to SRHR frameworks such as the Maputo Protocol and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
According to the organizations’ joint announcement, the fellowship includes full financial support covering tuition, stipends for living expenses, travel costs for in-person gatherings, and access to technical resources. Applicants must submit a completed application form, a personal statement outlining their advocacy vision, two letters of recommendation, and evidence of prior engagement in women’s rights or LGBTQ+ justice work. The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2026, with selections announced by September 1, 2026.
Previous cohorts of the Advocacy Institute have produced alumni who have gone on to lead national campaigns for abortion law reform in Kenya, advocate for transgender rights in the Philippines, and contribute to shadow reporting processes for UN treaty bodies such as CEDAW. ARROW and AMwA emphasize that the program prioritizes applicants from marginalized communities, including indigenous women, women with disabilities, rural women, and migrant and refugee populations.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to consult the official ARROW website (arrow.org.my) and AMwA’s portal (akinamama.org) for detailed eligibility criteria, application guidelines, and testimonials from past fellows. Both organizations maintain active social media channels where updates about the AAI 2026 cycle are regularly posted.
As feminist movements worldwide face increasing pushback against gender equality initiatives, programs like the ARROW – AMwA Advocacy Institute play a critical role in sustaining resilient, interconnected networks of changemakers. By investing in the next generation of leaders from the Global South, the fellowship seeks to ensure that advocacy efforts remain grounded in local realities while contributing to global human rights discourse.
The next official update regarding the AAI 2026 fellowship will be the announcement of selected candidates on September 1, 2026. Interested individuals are advised to mark their calendars and prepare applications well in advance of the June 30 deadline.
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