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Hmong Women Leadership Institute:

Basic questions about HWLI.

1. What is the Hmong Women Leadership Institute?

Answer:

The Hmong Women Leadership Institute (HWLI) is a 9 months leadership training and education program for Hmong women ages 21 years and up. It is designed to help women learn about and develop their personal leadership while applying leadership knowledge and skills to their family/clan, their community and organizations, and on a global level. The program explores leadership issues important to Hmong women and helps them to think about using their leadership in multiple cultural environments. The monthly training sessions provide women with valuable knowledge about current leadership education and training within the context of culture. Sessions include small and large group dialogue, mentoring, group and individual activities, as well as guest speakers.

2. Why is there a need for a Hmong Women Leadership Institute?

Answer:

Hmong women have become influential and visible leaders in a variety of socio-economic environments. Moreover, an increasing number of Hmong women have been asked to take leadership in addressing critical issues such as poverty, literacy, education, health, and economic mobility within Hmong and non-Hmong communities. These achievements are well recognized, yet despite these accomplishments, Hmong women in the United States continue to struggle in their upward mobility. This is the time to cultivate strong leadership in Hmong women to create lasting cultural, institutional, and social change.

3. Do I need to have formal leadership experience to participate?

Answer:

No. Leadership is a personal experience and is defined through the participant's perspective. In essence, everyone has had an opportunity to lead in her life; the only difference is the form in which that leadership has culminated. This leadership program will not teach you an appropriate way to lead; rather it will help you facilitate your discovery about your own leadership. We want you to use your strengths to find the best form of leadership that fits who you are and the situations you encounter, whether that is leading within your own family, your clan, your community, your organization, or on a global level.

4. What will the training sessions look like?

Answer:

You can expect the training sessions to include a mix of individual and group activities that help you to discover your leadership strengths and opportunities for growth. These areas include communication, negotiation, authenticity, ethical and moral leadership, as well as others. These training sessions will require you to not simply participate, but challenge you to think about why you would use specific leadership skills and knowledge in your leadership. We will have guest speakers to come and talk about the work of Hmong women leaders in the community, the challenges facing Hmong women, the opportunities for growth, and ideas for organizing for change. Additionally, the group will receive coaching sessions to help them think through an end of year project that will engage the community in understanding the role of gender in leadership.