Lesotho, July 8 -- The cool walls of the Leribe English Medium School hall, reverberated with echoes of voices of the masses as they sat in anticipation of what lay ahead in the day on Sunday 5th July 2026.

Shrouded by an air of determination and possibility they conversed among themselves gathered to begin what many hope will become a defining chapter in Lesotho's democratic journey.

The occasion marked the start of the Race to Parliament component of the WYDE Women's Leadership Programme, an initiative aimed at equipping women, young women and persons with disabilities with the skills, confidence and networks needed to compete for political leadership and, ultimately, seats in Parliament.

Understandably, for many the programme repre...