The Arab International Women’s Forum is delighted to announce that the President & Founder Haifa Al Kaylani OBE has been appointed to the Advisory Board of the International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP). IPSP mobilises a group of several hundred academics, entrepreneurs, associative activists, government officials and philanthropists worldwide to identify the best opportunities for transformation and initiate processes of just, democratic and sustainable transition. IPSP has offices in Paris.
The appointment recognises Haifa’s three and a half decades of global advocacy as a development economist and change agent for sustainability, climate and economic empowerment and inclusion for women and young people. Haifa works at the highest levels of diplomacy, business and with the international institutions to effect positive progress that benefits women and young people in the MENA and globally.
Haifa serves on numerous Boards and Advisory Councils all over the world, including the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, QS, the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University, the Stimson East West Council, Medurable and the World Agricultural Forum, among others. Haifa is a Fellow of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative (2017) and served as a Commissioner on the ILO Global Commission on the Future of Work (2017-2019). In December 2023 she was appointed to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in King Charles’ 2024 New Year Honours List, in recognition of her services to Women, Young People and to Cultural Relations between the United Kingdom and the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
IPSP’s Board of Directors is Chaired by Professor Marc Fleurbaey who is also a co-founder of IPSP. The organisation’s Co-Executive Directors are Dr Margo Thomas and Dr Olivier Bouin. IPSP is a multi-disciplinary collaborative of thinkers and doers working to advance social progress for the flourishing, security, and sustainability of all humanity by building coalitions and pathways for action. Its active network includes participants drawn from academia, civil society, multilateral organisations, national and sub-national policy makers, and the private sector.
IPSP’s thematic areas of engagement include:
1. Reforming the economic and social system, designing reforms and transformations that address the structural flaws of current institutions and regulations.
2. Unleashing the potential for social change, by fostering social innovations and experimentation.
3. Strengthening democracy and participation at all levels, to improve collective action and enhance the legitimacy of public decisions.
4. Promoting human security by supporting transformations across societies and fostering conflict resolution and planetary well-being.
5. Rethinking relations with nature to promote sustainability, biodiversity, and well-being.
The Arab International Women’s Forum was founded in 2001 by Haifa Al Kaylani OBE and is a leading development organisation dedicated to the promotion, inclusion and empowerment of women and young people in the MENA region and beyond. AIWF members include business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, scientists, change makers, academics and university leaders, and events and activities are centred on giving women a high-level platform to inspire others to start up, scale up and progress in their chosen careers, with sustainability, climate justice and gender equality at the heart of all that we do.
With the contribution of Haifa Al Kaylani OBE on the IPSP Advisory Board, the Arab International Women’s Forum looks forward to working closely with IPSP in the future on our common mission to provide actionable insights and recommendations for women and young people in the MENA region and beyond, with a view to mobilising social progress and ensuring a seat at the table for women in critical dialogue on environment, social cohesion, disruptive AI and tech, and economic reform that prioritises peace, prosperity and wellbeing of all citizens.
For more information about the International Panel on Social Progress and its upcoming Global Social Progress Week virtual event (27 – 31 October 2025), please visit https://ipsp.org.
For further information about the advocacy and history of the Arab International Women’s Forum, which celebrates its 25th year in 2026, please visit https://aiwfonline.com.
