Nepal Leadership Academy (NLA) successfully organized the leadership component of the Gamechangers: Women in Science Research and Advocacy Workshop held from May 20–24, 2024, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Hosted in collaboration with the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), the event brought together 30 Early Career Fellows from 2019 and 2020 cohorts, representing developing countries across the globe. The workshop served as a dynamic platform for women scientists and policymakers to strengthen their capacity to drive gender policy change in STEM, with an emphasis on influencing scientific and academic institutions.
NLA designed and facilitated an intensive leadership course tailored to equip participants with adaptive leadership skills, storytelling techniques, and practical policy tools. Led by Dr. Pukar Malla, Former Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Center for Public Leadership and Executive Leadership Coach at NLA, the course drew from over 18 months of research with Harvard Professors Ronald Heifetz and Marshall Ganz. Through interactive modules on adaptive leadership, public narrative, and the LEAD framework, participants gained the confidence, agency, and collaborative tools needed to champion gender equity initiatives in their home countries.
The program combined high-level consultations with participatory learning methods, ensuring participants not only built individual leadership capacities but also forged a global network of change agents committed to advancing gender equality in STEM. By the conclusion of the workshop, participants left empowered with actionable strategies to influence policies, mobilize communities, and sustain impactful change in their respective contexts.