WomenLift Health Leadership Journey 2027: Fully-Funded Programme for Women Leaders in Health — Apply Before September 18

Are you a mid- to senior-career woman working in health or a health-connected field in Nigeria, East Africa, Southern Africa, or India? WomenLift Health has just opened applications for its 2027 Leadership Journey, and this is one fully-funded opportunity you don't want to scroll past.

What Is the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey?

The WomenLift Health Leadership Journey is a fully funded, 12-month leadership development programme designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of talented women working in health and interconnected sectors. It is delivered through a mix of virtual learning, one-on-one executive coaching, group mentoring, peer networking, and two mandatory in-person residencies (the Immersion and the Lift-Off).

The programme is built around what WomenLift Health calls "Health++" — the understanding that real, sustainable improvements in health don't happen in a silo. They depend on coordinated action across fields like climate change, food systems, agriculture, water and sanitation, education, economic policy, gender equity, and technology. So if your work touches health from any of these angles, this Journey is designed with you in mind.

As part of the programme, each fellow develops a Health Leadership Project — a self-directed initiative that applies what they're learning to a real, practical health challenge. Graduates go on to join the Global Fellows Network, a lifelong community of women leaders and allies working at local, regional, and global levels to advance women's leadership in health.

For 2027, WomenLift Health is focusing its Leadership Journeys on Africa and Asia, with cohorts running in:

-Nigeria

-Eastern Africa

-Southern Africa

-India

(2027 applications will not be open in North America this cycle — though this does not affect existing North America Global Fellows.)

Who Is It For?

The Leadership Journey is open to mid- to senior-career women who:

•Identify as women

•Work in health or a health-connected sector (as broadly defined above)

•Have significant professional experience — programmes like the India Journey specify roughly 15–25 years of work experience, and similar seniority is expected across regions

•Can commit fully to the 12-month programme, including all mandatory virtual sessions and both in-person residencies

•Are citizens residing and working in one of the eligible countries for their region

Eligibility by region/state or country:

-Nigeria — Nigerian citizens residing and working in Nigeria.

-Eastern Africa — Women working in health++ roles across Eastern Africa; the 2027 cohort will include 35 fellows from the region.

-Southern Africa — Citizens residing and working in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.

-India — Indian citizens residing and working in India, based in the IST time zone for at least 75% of the programme.

WomenLift Health particularly encourages applications from women from minority, historically marginalised, and underrepresented communities within these countries. Note: each cohort is small and highly competitive — historically only around 30–35 women are selected per region, out of hundreds of applicants — so a strong, specific application matters.

What Does the Programme Cover?

-Leadership assessments and personalised coaching

-Group mentoring from experienced health leaders

-Regular virtual learning touchpoints throughout the year

-Two mandatory in-person residencies (Immersion and Lift-Off), with all travel and accommodation costs covered by WomenLift Health

-Support to design and execute a practical Health Leadership Project

-Lifetime membership in the WomenLift Health Global Fellows Network

-The programme is completely free to participants — there is no cost to apply or to attend.

Deadline for Submission

Applications close on September 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Central Africa Time / West Africa Time).

Note that regional pages have listed slightly varying dates (September 17 vs. 18), so intending applicants should confirm the exact regional deadline and time zone on the official application page before submitting, and are strongly advised not to wait until the last day.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the official WomenLift Health website. Use the short link below, or search for your specific regional Leadership Journey page (Nigeria, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, or India) on womenlifthealth.org:

Apply here: http://bit.ly/2027LJ

Before applying, review your regional programme calendar carefully — attendance at all virtual sessions and in-person residencies is mandatory, and WomenLift Health advises against applying if you cannot commit to the full 12 months.