‘Engage for Impact! Daring to lead in a disrupted world’ was the ambitious theme of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society 13th Global Meeting which took place in October 2017 for the first time in Paris, at the Carrousel du Louvre.
The Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society is an international platform that examines major social and economic issues from women’s perspectives. Founded in 2005, the Forum seeks to give voice to leaders in politics, business, civil society and academia through a dynamic programme of international meetings, and to highlight initiatives that empower women’s entrepreneurship through education, advance corporate parity and advocate for better representation of women in the media. The Forum was ranked among the top five influential forums worldwide by the Financial Times in 2007, and is led by AIWF Board Member Chiara Corazza, Managing Director of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society.
AIWF was proud to support the first edition of the Women’s Forum Global Meeting in Paris, at which more than 2000 delegates attended high-level plenaries and discussions on the following topics: environmental preservation with the continuation of work from the Rome-based Climate Manifesto, the evolutions made possible by technology in smart cities, the impact of new technologies on companies, and the opportunities offered by a de-globalized financial system.
The Global Meeting 2017 included vibrant debates, research presentations and challenges, including the CEO Champions, a two-hour brainstorming session which for 8 years has consolidated a network of decision-makers who have actively pursued advancement of women within their company. This challenge allows them to “dare to imagine” global and pluralistic organisations of tomorrow, in both the public and private sectors.
This year, the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society was also proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ‘Rising Talents’ initiative, a network of more than 200 talented young women from more than 50 countries, which welcomed 13 new members as one of the world’s most promising leaders in their field. They will join all the women of the network, coming from five continents, to continue exchanges at the next Meetings in France and abroad.
The Global Meeting agenda was structured around four pillars:
- Embracing our humanity: In a disrupted world, it is the people at the heart of institutions and organisations who will ultimately make them fit for the future. This pillar looked at the relationship between organisations and the people they employ and serve, and how businesses and institutions can embrace their humanity to lead through disruption.
- Harnessing technology: The impact of technology is not a technical issue – it’s a social one. The Global Meeting examined the social and economic implications of game-changing technologies, such as data analytics and artificial intelligence, how to diversify and enrich the environment that gives rise to new technologies, and how to better apply new technological developments to the pursuit of a better world.
III. Thriving through creativity: Creativity offers value at all scales – from personal fulfilment to world-changing invention. In this pillar, successful entrepreneurs, innovators, companies, and organisations shared how they have systematically inspired and catalysed creativity and innovation.
- Shaping the future of work: The future of organisations depends on talent: engaging the right talent, with the necessary competencies and skills, and giving them the environment to succeed. This pillar looked at the competencies of the future and how businesses will find them, as well as how workplace environments and cultures can engage and support workers to be committed and productive.
In addition to the main programme, the Global Meeting also offered ‘The Discovery’, a co-curated space with Women’s Forum Corporate & Institutional partners showing how participants are putting their principles into action.
The Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society headed on to Mexico in November 2017, and will head to Malta and Toronto in the Spring 2018 and to Singapore in September 2018. AIWF is pleased to announce that the 2018 Women’s Forum Global Meeting will take place on 14, 15, 16 November 2018.
AIWF congratulates the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society on the success of its first Global Meeting in Paris and looks forward to developing its collaboration even further for future editions to support the representation of talented women leaders and rising stars from the MENA region at this exceptional global event dedicated to women’s leadership.
