The Kateryna Biloruska Foundation has completed the second run of FEM Online Program, a three-month leadership course for teenage girls aged 13–18. The second cohort brought together 78 participants from 12 countries, including Cyprus, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Morocco, Norway, and Spain.
On 18 April, six project teams presented their concepts at the FEM 2.0 Final Summit before a jury that included representatives from SteelRose and the Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM).
One of them was Mariam.
She is 17, from Afghanistan, and joined the program while navigating displacement. English is not her first language. When she started FEM, she had, in her own words, a big dream and no clear path. Eight weeks later, she stood in front of the jury and walked them through a fully developed project strategy she had built from scratch.
"During this journey, I went through some very difficult personal challenges. At one point, my family lost our home due to government actions, and we were left without shelter. In addition, I was unable to receive a study visa to the United Kingdom despite my efforts, mainly because of my nationality. These experiences have been extremely challenging, but they never stopped me from continuing my education and pursuing opportunities like FEM”.
She is one of 165 girls who have completed FEM or FEM 2.0 since the program launched a year ago.
Joining Mariam in this cohort was Evdokia Constantinou, a 15-year-old student from Cyprus, who focused her project on empowering young women to pursue STEM education and careers without limitations.
"In Cyprus, we see many girls hesitate to enter science and technology because they don't see enough women in those roles," Constantinou noted. "Through FEM, I learned that I don't have to wait for a seat at the table, I can build the table myself."
About the program
FEM runs for three months online. Participants attend lectures, work with assigned mentors, complete individual assignments, and develop a group project that they pitch at the final summit. The top teams compete for a grant and a place at FEM's offline retreat in Cyprus.
The second cohort covered 45 lessons across negotiation, financial literacy, and what the program calls psychological resilience. Six startup concepts were developed across the cycle.
Yangos Hadjiyannis, CEO of the Cyprus Business School and a member of the professional jury, emphasised the academic and practical value of the initiative, “The level of strategic thinking demonstrated by these young women is a testament to the effectiveness of the FEM program’s model. At Cyprus Business School, we value the bridge between education and real-world application, and FEM is successfully building that bridge for the next generation of female leaders in Cyprus and beyond.”
One year of FEM: what the numbers show
Since launching in 2024, the FEM community has grown to over 700 active participants. The foundation received nearly 2,000 applications for the two online program cohorts. 138 girls completed the full program. The network currently spans girls from 12 countries, supported by eight mentors, 25 speakers, and three ambassadors.
Offline, the program has run two leadership camps and five retreats in Cyprus.
"Leadership has no age and no borders," said Kateryna Biloruska, founder of the Kateryna Biloruska Foundation. "When you invest in a girl's voice, you invest in entire communities."
About the Kateryna Biloruska Foundation
KBF is a Cyprus-based international charitable organization focused on youth development through sport, leadership, and inclusive education.
