Young Political Leadership School of Africa Succeeds in Training a New Generation of Politicians

January 17, 2020
News

As a woman’s rights activist for most of her life, Mariam Alhassan was familiar with the challenges facing female political candidates in the northern Ghanaian Tamale area where she grew up, so she wasn’t fazed by the discrimination she faced when she first ran for office in 2018. But, rather than become discouraged at that loss, she immediately enrolled in the Young Political Leadership School of Africa (YPLS Africa)’s program. The organization provided leadership training, including hands on experience with skills such as campaign planning, public speaking, and fundraising. Upon completing the program, Alhassan ran again, and earlier this January was elected as the first female assembly member in the electoral district of Gbumgbum in the Nanton area, a suburb of Tamale. “YPLS Africa was the best thing that happened to me in my political career,” Alhassan said. Read more about YPLS Africa’s program here.

Mariam Alhassan on right, at an Oct 2019 YPLS Africa event