UWCM Featured in Zakenvrouwenclub Magazine: Five Years of the Female Empowerment Network

November 29, 2025

In the latest edition of Zakenvrouwenclub Magazine, Sandra van den Tillaard (Director of Advancement) and Charlotte Groven (Fundraiser) share the story behind the school’s Female Empowerment Network. What began in 2020 with five girls from the MENA region has grown into a powerful global initiative that has already provided scholarships to 44 young women and connected more than seventy businesswomen through a meaningful support network!

The article highlights how education creates a domino effect of change. The girls who complete their final years of secondary school at UWC Maastricht grow into role models for their families and communities. Sandra and Charlotte share impressive examples of this determination, such as Leila from Western Sahara, who helped launch Under the Sun to fund air conditioners and water tanks for her community. The Female Empowerment Network is much more than an academic programme. It is a community of women, leaders and entrepreneurs who connect during events, lectures and encounters with the students. Through their support, young women from conflict areas, now also beyond the MENA region, gain access to education and opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach.

Looking ahead, UWC Maastricht aims to expand the project even further. The ambition is to welcome fifteen girls each year and to build long-term sustainability within the network, including through multi-year commitments.

Curious to learn more or join us?

The network welcomes women who want to help create a fairer and more inclusive world. Read more and join us in empowering the next generation of global changemakers!