Collectivisation Initiative
Many girls and young women from marginalized communities face barriers that extend far beyond access to education or technology. Restrictive gender norms, early marriage, violence, limited mobility, and unequal opportunities often prevent them from becoming leaders in their own communities. While FAT's programs have enabled thousands of girls to build confidence, skills, and agency, lasting change requires young women themselves to lead and sustain this work within their communities.
The Collectivization Initiative (CI) is the Level 3 of the FAT Model and the program that connects FAT's participant community with its organizational future. It is a three-year leadership development program for young women aged 18–25 who are committed to deepening their leadership journey and becoming facilitators, mentors, and collective leaders.
The program emerged from years of learning through FAT's community-based work. Experience showed that the strongest and most lasting outcomes occurred when young women who had themselves grown through FAT's programs returned to lead others. The Collectivization Initiative was created to support this transition—from participant to leader, and from individual leadership to collective action.
CI goes beyond leadership training. Participants will develop the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to facilitate programs, mentor younger participants, strengthen democratic collective processes, mobilize resources, and build sustainable community-led initiatives. The program design incorporates organizational management and entrepreneurship so that young women can strengthen both their leadership and their livelihoods while building institutions rooted in feminist values.
This vision is already becoming a reality. FAT's first Collective, comprising Rani, Meena, and Mahjabi, is now actively leading community initiatives in Delhi, demonstrating how young women can take ownership of creating opportunities for the next generation. As more participants graduate from the Collectivization Initiative, additional Collectives will be established, expanding this model of community-led leadership across the regions where FAT works.
As more Collectives are being formed, they need access to laptops, tablets, mobile phones, STEM equipment, and maker resources to lead learning and mentor girls in their communities. From the second year of the Collectivization Initiative, participants begin facilitating programs and require access to technology. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones are our most urgent needs—new devices are preferred, but functional pre-owned ones are also welcome.