WomEn Change
Agent Network
Leadership Training
for Female Local Leaders
Training and mentoring program
10. February – 23 June
Apply to participate
until 15th January
About the Program
The WECAN Program brings together 30 female municipal and community leaders from 209 small Hungarian cities (under 10 000 inhabitants) as part of a 52 hours training and mentoring program on participative leadership and inclusive governance. Besides strengthening leadership skills and enhancing knowledge on citizen inclusion, the selected participants apply with a Change Project addressing a local issue that needs to be tackled with increased participation.
female local leaders
local causes
cities
hours of training and mentorship
months
community
Who is it for?
The program is aimed at women who play a leading role in the civic life of their cities and are active shapers of local public life. We are looking for participants who are committed to local issues and want to contribute to the development of their locality by expanding their own knowledge and tools.
We will select a total of 30 participants from Hungarian cities with less than 10,000 inhabitants.
Selection process:
open to women local leaders living and working in Hungarian cities with a maximum of 10 000 inhabitants (209 cities)
target group: municipal decision-makers and staff, community leaders (e.g. NGO leaders), local business leaders, thought leaders
a politically balanced group of participants will be selected, in order to ensure the project is non-partisan
applicants submit a Change Project, a real issue of concern requiring a high level of citizen participation, which plays a key role in the selection
selected participants commit to take part in the 2×2-day personal training sessions and the 1-day closing event (February 10-11, May 12-13, June 24) and in the mentoring sessions (8 x 1,5 hours), as well as commit 4-8 hours of individual project work / week to the program
We met years ago at a scholarship program, and now we have successfully applied to the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund, a grant program of the U.S. State Department to launch this program for local female community leaders.
We bring together 35 years of leadership experience in the field of sustainable urban development. The training program we put together with invited trainers, will build on participants’ experience and provide a free space for cooperation and joint development. We hope that the first ever network of female local leaders in Hungary will help grow participants’ regional networks and help them to fully utilize the power and influence of their positions.
Éva Tétényi
Certified architect, senior planner, settlement and regional planner, expert in heritage protection
I have more than 25 years of experience as a senior planner. In addition to my degree in architecture, I hold postgraduate degrees in architectural heritage conservation, urban planning and public procurement. I am regularly teaching courses at universities in settlement development.
Recently I completed a research project on “the social responsibility in the public sector”. I am currently working as a settlement planner and as a commissioned chief architect in several Hungarian towns. I regularly use community planning when creating new types of settlement plans. For 7 years I worked as a senior civil servant in the public administration as the chief architect of Győr-Moson-Sopron county; before that, as the chief architect of Budapest-Terézváros where I coordinated the UNESCO World Heritage protection of Andrássy Avenue.
Daniella Huszár
Economist, project manager in culture and sustainable urban development
I have 10 years of experience in implementing cultural and urban development projects that rely on the participation of local communities.
I have worked at startup companies and municipalities, but I feel most comfortable in the nonprofit sector. As the program coordinator of the Krétakör Theatre, the Budapest Architecture Film Days, and then as the development manager of the Hungarian Center for Contemporary Architecture (KÉK), I gained experience in various areas of nonprofit management (business development, fundraising, writing international grant applications).
Currently I am working as sustainably coordinator at an international association dealing with the sustainability of the construction sector. I earned my degrees in international relations at the Corvinus University in Budapest, and cultural policy and management at the University of Warwick in England.
Timeline
Application deadline
15 January
Selection
23 January
Kick-off meeting and training
10-11. February
Online mentoring
13 February – 12 May
2-day training
12 – 13. May
Online mentoring
15 May – 23 June
Closing event
23 June
Application
To apply please fill out the Application Form with your basic personal information and motivation. Applicants submit a Change Project, a real issue of concern requiring a high level of citizen participation, which plays a key role in the selection.
The application period runs from 15 November till 15 January. Applications are constantly evaluated, places are filled in order of application, so it is wor applying as early as possible.
Application deadline: 15 January
Selection
The following aspects are taken into account at the selection:
- motivation, commitment
- the role played in the community life of the represented city
- the nature of the Change Project, its potential positive social and environmental impact
- the emphasis given to social participation in the implementation of the Change Project
The program is supported by the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy of Budapest.