The progress of women in the last century has dramatically increased the opportunities available to women, yet women's participation in positions of public influence continues to lag behind. Although women account for nearly 50 percent of the workforce, they hold just 18.7 percent of seats in the world's national parliaments as of 31 December 2009, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Zonta International believes young women are the key to women's advancement in the field of public service. The Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Awards program recognizes young women for their demonstrated leadership skills and commitment to public service and civic causes and encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life.
Since the program's inception, Zonta has given 565 awards to 503 young women women from 49 countries.
AWARD DESCRIPTION Established in 1990 by Past International President Leneen Forde, the Young Women in Public Affairs Award honors young women in secondary level or pre-university schools, ages 16 to 19, who demonstrate a commitment to leadership in public policy, government and volunteer organizations. The program operates at the Zonta club, district and international levels. Zonta clubs provide awards for club recipients, and district and international awards are funded by the Zonta International Foundation. District recipients receive US$1,000, and five international recipients are selected from the district recipients to receive awards of US$3,000 each. ELIGIBILITY Women of any nationality, who are pre-university or pre-college students (ages 16-19) living or studying in a Zonta district/region at the time of application and demonstrate evidence of:
APPLICATION PROCESS The application must start with a Zonta club. All application materials must be received at a Zonta club by the printed deadline. Zonta clubs select one application to send to the Zonta District Governors. A district evaluating committee reviews the applications and selects one applicant per district to submit to Zonta International Headquarters. The Zonta International YWPA Committee recommends five international recipients from the District applications to the Zonta International Board. After approval by the Zonta International Board, the Zonta International Foundation provides awards and certificates to the district and international recipients. >>Locate a Zonta Club Near You DEADLINE Applications for the 2011 Young Women in Public Affairs Award must be received by the assigned deadline that is declared by the applicant's local Zonta club. The 2011 recipients will be chosen by 1 July 2011. FUNDING SUPPORT Young Women in Public Affairs Awards are made possible through generous contributions from Zontians, Zonta Clubs and friends of Zonta.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Please contact your local club for application deadline
