Ministers To Mentor Future Female Leaders In SistersIN Programme

First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly have announced they will become mentors as part of the SistersIN Leadership Programme, which aims to empower young women and encourage them to reach their full potential.

The Ministers made the announcement at the SistersIN celebration event held at the ICC, where they also congratulated nearly 700 girls from 51 local schools who participated in the Female Leadership Programme. First Minister Michelle O'Neill praised the students for their remarkable achievements and shared her excitement about joining the initiative as a mentor. She said: "This is such a positive event, recognising the amazing achievements of all the participants, connected by a shared determination to fulfil their potential and support each other along the way. I have been so impressed by the range of projects taken forward by the student leaders and I'm extremely excited to get involved and become a mentor. I look forward to working with you, learning from you and being part of this great programme."

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly also expressed her support, encouraging young girls to take part and flourish. "I want to encourage all girls to step forward, achieve and flourish. SistersIN can give the skills to grow confidence, do amazing things and make a real difference. I am really looking forward to being part of the mentoring programme and to help provide any support and guidance I can. It is important for us as leaders to help create the environment that supports young women to pursue any career, including those in fields that may have once seemed out of reach."