Over the past few weeks, Vital Voices celebrated women “leading the rise” in redefining our shared future at the Venice Global Dialogue and Global Action Summit in Poland. We are living in a pivotal moment: as global crisis continues to mount; a wave of authoritarianism threatens to pull the world backwards- far too many leaders are choosing to spread fear and sow division. However, at Vital Voices, through our network of 20,000 women leaders in 185 countries, we see leaders who know that solidarity, compassion, and inclusion are far stronger than fear. Throughout our global network, we see a rise in global leadership that shares power instead of hoarding it-leadership that grows stronger and delivers more by spreading hope, joy, and connection. We see women leaders who are talking collective action for collective progress.
From August 28-30, 2024, Vital Voices convened a global dialogue in Venice, Italy bringing together 40 dynamic and inspiring women leaders from every region of the world. Along with industry experts, organizers and advocates they were tasked with laying the groundwork for a much-needed global movement to uplift and amplify the voices of women leading change. This gathering was the catalyst in achieving a global vision, which includes the development of a sustainable, long-term campaign to spark behavior change around leadership.
At the heart of this dialogue were several key themes emphasizing visionary leadership that unites rather than divides, the role of empathy and the pursuit of shared human values. It was collectively agreed that the movement must be grassroots-driven, while being activated by the Vital Voices network. Inclusivity is paramount, encompassing men and boys, embracing gender fluidity, and fostering intergenerational engagement.
“We are not in a crisis of leadership but a crisis of values and morals,” said Aya Chebbi, a Pan-African feminist and 2024 Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards Honoree. “So we need to [ask] ‘what are the roots of global values?’ ‘what are community values and family values?’ ‘what is the root of the issue and not just the surface of leadership?’”
Participants agreed a successful movement aimed at amplifying a new model of leadership and combatting fear-based approaches would create a transformative and widespread impact across multiple dimensions of society.
Shortly after, in partnership with the Empiria i Wiedza Foundation, Vital Voices also hosted “Leading the Rise: Women for Rights and Democracy,” a Global Action Summit from September 9-12, 2024. Over 100 women political leaders, elected officials, community leaders, activists, journalists and influencers were selected for their direct experience upholding rights and democracy, countering digital dictatorships, online violence, rigged and manipulated elections, and entrenched authoritarianism. Together these women connected causes, shared best practices at the local, regional, and global level, and identified a collective action campaign that will engage the Vital Voices Global Network.
The objective of the Summit was to ignite global action by women leaders to hold the line against authoritarian regimes that threaten their rights, agency and participation in civil society, government, and business, and other aspects of civic life. This was accomplished through our three core outcomes:
- Empowering Individual Leaders: Our 100 women leaders identified 100 concrete actions to amplify impact in their local contexts. These personal commitments will be carried forward in their own work with the support of the Vital Voices network.
- Fostering Global Connections: We developed a Playbook of actionable practices and recommendations for countering authoritarianism, drawn from diverse geographies and causes. Stay tuned for its release later this year.
- Driving Collective Action: Together, we will identify a fundable, actionable campaign that unites our network around a shared goal.
“The experience of fighting for democratic values and women’s rights around the world touched my soul,” said Tetiana Kotenko, Head of NCP Н2020 – Central Ukrainian National Technical University. “I learned more about what women around the world are facing, their irresistible power of optimism and their thirst for defining the value of women in the world.”
From fostering grassroots-driven movements to countering authoritarianism, to amplifying women’s voices in their communities, these gatherings have not only exemplified the power of women leaders to rise together in challenging the status quo but also laid the foundation for transformative, lasting impact. By uniting around shared values of inclusion, empathy and solidarity, the Vital Voices network demonstrated that collective action is key to building a future where change is driven by hope rather than fear. This is just the beginning of a larger movement to reshape leadership on a global scale, with women at the forefront, leading the rise, and we hope you will join us.
