The Guyana Women's Leadership Institute (GWLI) is conducting a Capacity Building and Leadership Skills Programme in Region Six at Kildonan and Albion, a press release from the Institute said on Tuesday.

The six-month programme is being done in two three-month phases. The Phase 1 programme started in July last year at Kildonan and in August at Albion. The focus is on the evolution of the status of women, building self-confidence, and developing leadership qualities.

Some of the topics include The Self, Gender and Development; Healthy Lifestyles; Image-building and Etiquette; Communication; Leadership; Community Development; History and Social Studies. The release said further that the programme also has a Skills for Economic Empowerment component.

Phase 11 of the programme is currently being conducted with 20 women at Kildonan and 15 women at Albion. The programme will culminate with a graduation exercise in May.

Already the women from the Phase 1 training programme in Kildonan have taken on the challenge to be more involved in the No.28 Bush Lot/Adventure Concerned Citizen's Group, while others are now active in their churches and social organisations. In addition, the women at Albion are now realising their potentials, the release noted.

Region Six was chosen, the release noted, because it is the second most populated region (after Region Four) with a number of functioning NGOs.

Preceding this training programme, GWLI had conducted a Training for Trainers Workshop in Region Six in July 2003 at Albion, with 16 facilitators participating, the release added.