There was a high interest among women in HEIs within East Africa to launch this initiative based on the attendance at the preliminary meetings held on October 14, 2012 and October 15, 2012.  

Additionally, HERS-EA had already trained 26 Alumni in East Africa, most of whom were in top management and leadership positions. For instance, a couple of these albums held the positions of Vice Chancellor at Busitema University and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Makerere University, two of Uganda’s public universities. Several have held positions of College Deans or Principles.

These alums played a significant role in supporting HERS-EA.

HERS-EA curriculum is a multi-tiered application of the “Leader within Her Systems” approach—drawing from the HERS “individual leader with institutional impact” model. HERS-EA works with the

1.  Top Executives, in higher education and beyond;
2.  The “returning learners” who have some engagement with educational systems; 
3. The grassroots learners/leaders who are outside those systems now but must learn to be advocates for girls in their communities,
4. Women in the educational systems but not at executive leadership level. 

These are the women in the school systems and the higher educational settings who are in direct contact as teachers, professors and administrators. HERS-EA allows for their capacities to further develop, and exposure to broader career options and alternatives.