On Monday, 14th October 2024, the World Woman Foundation hosted the highly anticipated Commonwealth Agenda 2024 at the House of Lords in London. This landmark event, held in partnership with the BBC, united leaders from across the Commonwealth, including business executives, United Nations representatives, global influencers, and experts in health, technology, and climate sectors. Together, they explored strategies to accelerate investment in women and girls across the 56 Commonwealth nations. With a focus on resilience, wealth creation, and exceptional leadership, the agenda aimed to build a resilient and prosperous future for women worldwide. The event was hosted by Baroness Verma, Chair of UN Women UK; Rupa Dash, Founder & CEO, World Woman Foundation and Lalita Taylor, World Woman Foundation Council Member UK, Executive Producer, BBC Fusion and Co-Chair, BBC WiSTEM network.
The Opening and Themes of the Day
The summit began with an inspiring keynote address by The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. The session set the tone for a day of thought-provoking discussions, underscoring the importance of gender parity and female empowerment in global development. The event was graced by the presence of HRH Princess Beatrice, whose attendance highlighted the growing recognition of the critical role women play in shaping the future.
Timed strategically just a week before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, the Commonwealth Agenda expanded on CHOGM’s theme, with a focus on creating “One Resilient Common Future and Wealth for Women.” The summit convened over 100 invited guests, including policymakers, influencers, and advocates dedicated to championing gender equality and inclusion.
The agenda for the day was comprehensive, covering seven essential themes:
- Women’s Leadership in the Commonwealth
- Women’s Health
- Tech, AI, and Innovation
- Commonwealth and Gender
- Women in the Creative Industries
- Modern Day Slavery and Education
- Climate and Sustainability
Each theme provided a platform for discussing the challenges women face and highlighted opportunities for driving change through innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic leadership.
Women’s Leadership in the Commonwealth
One of the most anticipated sessions was the panel debate on “Women’s Leadership in the Commonwealth,” moderated by Lopa Patel MBE, a digital entrepreneur and advocate for diversity in the technology sector. The panel featured distinguished speakers, including Monica Ferro, Director of the UNFPA Office in London; Dr. Linda Yueh CBE, an economist and Executive Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society; and Eman Martin-Vignerte, Director of External Affairs and Government Relations at Bosch UK.
This discussion addressed the persistent gender gap in leadership roles across Commonwealth nations, where women hold only 25% of senior leadership positions. The conversation extended to financial inclusion, with an emphasis on promoting female entrepreneurship and improving access to finance, credit, and investment for women founders.
Key Insights from the Panel
Panellists explored various dimensions of gender inequality and how targeted actions could lead to faster progress. The focus was on improving financial literacy, promoting investment in women-owned businesses, and addressing systemic barriers that limit women’s access to financial resources. This is especially crucial given that women entrepreneurs receive less than 2% of global venture capital funding, despite owning 35% of small and medium enterprises in Commonwealth countries.
The panellists also highlighted the need for greater representation of women in leadership positions, particularly in the rapidly growing tech and AI sectors. Currently, only 22% of AI leadership roles in Commonwealth countries are held by women, a figure that underscores the need for more inclusive digital transformation strategies.
Driving Economic Growth Through Gender Parity
The potential economic impact of achieving gender parity in leadership was a recurring theme throughout the day. According to McKinsey & Company, closing the gender gap in leadership could add up to $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025, a projection with significant implications for Commonwealth economies. The panellists emphasised that creating opportunities for women to lead in business, technology, and government would not only advance gender equality but also drive sustainable economic growth across member states.
Empowering Women for a Resilient Future
As discussions progressed, the overarching theme of resilience emerged. The agenda highlighted how investing in women’s leadership, health, education, and climate initiatives could foster more resilient communities and nations. The inclusion of health and sustainability in the Commonwealth agenda was particularly poignant, with speakers addressing the need to close health inequalities for the 2.7 billion people living in Commonwealth countries. Empowering women in these areas was framed as a critical step towards achieving long-term sustainability and societal wellbeing.
Looking Forward: The Path to 2030
The World Woman Commonwealth Agenda 2024 built on the progress made by previous initiatives, such as the World Woman Foundation’s Davos and Cannes agendas. This year’s event, however, marked a significant step forward in the Commonwealth’s efforts to promote gender equality and inclusion, offering a platform to assess the current state of women’s leadership and identify strategies to accelerate progress.
The World Woman Foundation’s ambitious goal is to elevate two million women and girls by 2030 through investment in skills, capital, and community. The Commonwealth Agenda is a key part of this global effort, with a focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields. The foundation’s commitment to expanding opportunities for women leaders is set to continue, as it works creatively and collaboratively to build a more equitable future.
Conclusion
The World Woman Commonwealth Agenda 2024 was an inspiring and transformative event, reaffirming the vital role of women in shaping the future of the Commonwealth. With expert panellists, influential keynote speakers, and a focus on actionable solutions, the summit served as a catalyst for advancing gender parity, economic empowerment, and leadership for women and girls. As the Commonwealth continues to evolve, events like these will play a crucial role in ensuring that women are at the forefront of the journey towards a resilient and prosperous future.
About World Woman Foundation
Founded in 2013, World Woman Foundation is a non-profit organisation creating meaningful experiences through business, technology, social entrepreneurship, and entertainment designed for women all over the world. It’s a globally accepted organisation with people across continents and cultures coming together to discover and create extraordinary resources for women. A global platform to connect, engage and succeed by sharing opportunities to women all across nations and celebrate women heroes for their unique
achievements.
Guided by our mission, we launched the global moonshot to reimagine the #equalfuture—a bold new way to accelerate women’s leadership that is about dignity, equality, and choice. Today we are a global community of women leaders committed to scale and accelerate the impact of one million women and girls by 2030 within long-term investments to expand skills, connections, capacity, and visibility. Over the last 5 years, we have built a network of 300 change-makers in 20 countries who are solving the world’s greatest challenges. We aim to elevate 2 million women’s socio-economic milieu by access to capital, community, and coaching in STEAM fields. Together we can do more, and we are working creatively and collaboratively for an equitable future.
For further information visit https://www.worldwomanfoundation.com/