women’s leadership – Women's Network for Change

October 15, 2026

Navi Pillay, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Navi Pillay: A Woman Who Turned Barriers into Stepping Stones

In every era of history, there are women who not only overcome the limitations imposed upon them but also pave the way for future generations. Navi Pillay is one of those women; a woman who emerged from a society marked by racial discrimination and gender inequality to become one of the world’s most prominent figures in human rights and international justice. Receiving the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is a significant milestone in her career, but that distinction alone is not […]

October 15, 2026

Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association, supports the No To Execution Tuesdays campaign.

UN Expert Takes ‘No Execution Tuesdays’ Campaign Global

UN Rapporteur Gina Romero’s hunger strike sparked a wave of international solidarity with Iranian political prisoners. At a time when dozens of political prisoners and protesters in Iran are facing the threat of execution, a powerful act by Gina Romero, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, helped generate an unprecedented wave of international solidarity with the ‘No To Execution Tuesdays’ campaign. Her decision to join the campaign’s 24-hour hunger strike […]

September 25, 2026

Symbolic image representing women in political leadership and decision-making roles

UN Women Reports Continued Underrepresentation of Women in Politics

Updated figures published by UN Women on 15 September 2026 show that women remain significantly underrepresented in political decision-making worldwide, despite progress in women’s political participation over recent decades. As of 1 September 2026, women serve as Heads of State and/or Government in 28 countries, with 30 women holding these positions. According to UN Women, at the current rate of progress, gender equality in the highest positions of political power will not be reached for another 130 years. Women also […]

August 1, 2026

Breaking the Boardroom Barrier: Europe’s Push for Women in Corporate Leadership

A major shift is underway in global corporate leadership. Across Europe, new rules aimed at increasing women’s representation in company boardrooms are beginning to reshape one of the most persistent areas of gender inequality: access to top decision-making roles. The change is being driven by the Women on Boards Directive of the European Union, which requires listed companies across member states to take concrete steps toward achieving greater gender balance in corporate leadership. By June 2026, large publicly listed companies […]

July 12, 2026

Artificial Intelligence, Disinformation and Women’s Political Leadership

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way societies communicate, govern, and participate in democratic processes. While AI offers enormous opportunities for innovation and development, it also presents new and significant challenges for women in politics. The rapid rise of AI-generated disinformation, algorithmic bias, and online gender-based abuse threatens not only individual women leaders but also the health of democratic institutions. As governments, civil society, and international organisations grapple with the implications of AI, ensuring that women can participate safely and […]

April 30, 2026

WNC’s Participation in CSW 70: Engaging with Global Leaders and Advocating Women’s Rights

The seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 70) took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9 to 19 March 2026. Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world were invited to attend the session. The themes for CSW 70 were: At CSW 70, our NGO was honored to participate in critical events that addressed global challenges and opportunities for advancing gender equality. Among […]

March 30, 2026

Global Solidarity with Iranian Women: Paris Workshop Highlights Courage and Resistance

Each year, International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate progress, demand equality, and amplify the voices of women around the world. But for many Iranian women, this day is not only symbolic—it is deeply political, rooted in an ongoing struggle for basic rights, dignity, and freedom. This year’s global theme, set by the United Nations—“Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”—calls for dismantling structural barriers to equality, ending discriminatory laws, and taking collective action to ensure fundamental rights […]

February 1, 2026

WNC Extends Deepest Condolences on the Passing of Prof. Rita Süssmuth

Trailblazing German Politician and Champion of Equality Germany is mourning the loss of Rita Süssmuth, one of the most influential and respected political figures in the history of the Federal Republic. The longtime CDU politician and former President of the German Bundestag has died at the age of 88, as confirmed by current Bundestag President Julia Klöckner. She described Süssmuth as “one of the most significant politicians of the Federal Republic of Germany,” whose impact will be felt for generations […]

October 10, 2025

Jane Goodall: A Trailblazer Who Redefined Science and Inspired Generations of Women

When Jane Goodall entered the forests of Gombe, Tanzania, in 1960 with nothing but a notebook, binoculars, and boundless curiosity, she was doing something almost unimaginable for a woman of her time. Science especially the field of primatology was dominated by men, and few believed that a young woman without formal scientific training could contribute anything meaningful. Yet Goodall not only transformed our understanding of humanity’s closest relatives but also redefined what it meant to be a woman in science. […]

April 17, 2025

Dominique Attias Honored as Officer of the Legion of Honor for Lifetime Legal Advocacy

In a ceremony held at the Paris Bar Association on April 10, 2025, Dominique Attias, a trailblazing figure in the French legal world, was awarded the title of Officier de la Légion d’Honneur—Officer of the Legion of Honor—in recognition of her decades-long dedication to justice, children’s rights, and the defense of fundamental freedoms. The award is one of the highest civilian honors in France, bestowed by presidential decree and announced in the Journal Officiel on July 9, 2024. Attias joins […]