GWL Week Wrap: Women Building Capital, Culture & Global Impact

From a femtech forum in Paris to a basketball court in Berlin, and from boardrooms in Lagos to policy discussions in Addis Ababa, women made their mark across business, policy, sport and culture this week.

Across continents, entrepreneurs, executives, athletes and policymakers advanced initiatives spanning women's health, climate finance, financial inclusion, workplace culture and sports. While some stories centred on individual leadership moves, others highlighted a broader development: institutions are increasingly creating platforms, funding mechanisms and networks designed to help women's participation translate into lasting economic and social impact.

This week's GWL stories reflected that shift. Regional organisations expanded their mandates for women entrepreneurs, financial institutions channelled fresh capital towards women-led businesses, and companies appointed women to senior leadership positions. At the same time, skills programmes reached women at the grassroots level, while athletes and media entrepreneurs continued to expand the visibility of women's achievements.

Here is a look at the key developments shaping the global women's leadership landscape this week.

Global Forums, Alliances & Advocacy: Building Platforms for Women's Progress

Across regions, organisations continued to establish forums and alliances designed to connect women leaders, entrepreneurs and institutions.

In Paris, the inaugural Women's Health Forum Europe is set to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and institutions on November 27 to examine the rapidly developing women's health sector. Organised by Femtech France under Managing Director Delphine Moulu, the one-day event at Handilab is expected to attract more than 200 participants. The forum will feature two innovation challenges: one focused on perimenopause and menopause, co-organised with PiLeJe, and another centred on women's health wearables in partnership with Garmin Health. The initiative reflects growing efforts to bring innovators, investors and healthcare stakeholders together around issues affecting women's health.

In Southeast Asia, Laos assumed the chairmanship of the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) for 2026-2027. The AWEN Forum and Awards Ceremony is scheduled for October 2-3 in Vientiane. Chairperson Chanthachone Vongsay outlined three priorities for the term: strengthening regional business connectivity, improving women's access to markets and capital, and accelerating digital transformation among women-owned MSMEs. The agenda places regional cooperation and digital access at the centre of efforts to strengthen women's entrepreneurship across ASEAN.

The BRICS Women's Business Alliance also focused on moving women entrepreneurs from participation towards greater leadership and competitiveness. National Chairperson of BRICS WBA-South Africa Lebogang Zulu highlighted the importance of building businesses that compete on products, quality, delivery and price, while calling for greater economic equity. She also identified creative industries and agriculture as areas with potential for stronger collaboration between women-led businesses in India and South Africa.

On the peace and security front, the European Union joined African Union leaders at the launch of the AU Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security Strategic Plan 2026-2028. The plan seeks to strengthen women's participation and leadership in peace processes across Africa. Special Envoy Liberata Mulamula said the focus now needs to move beyond existing commitments and frameworks towards implementation, highlighting the need to translate policy commitments into practical outcomes.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, House of Rose Professional confirmed its leaders and mentors for the 2026 World Edition summit. Scheduled for October 12 at Frasers House, the event is expected to bring together around 250 senior executives and entrepreneurs for discussions on leadership, artificial intelligence and inclusion. HORP research also reported that companies with stronger gender representation on boards and in C-suite positions recorded higher revenue and profit growth than non-index companies in its 2026 analysis.

Appointments & Leadership Moves: Women Take on New Mandates

Women also stepped into new leadership and advisory roles across sports, energy and healthcare.

African Collaborations Group appointed Aicha Diop to its Advisory Board. With more than 18 years of experience in sports marketing, Diop was involved in launching the NBA's Basketball Africa League and has worked across sports, technology and entertainment in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America. The appointment adds her experience across international sports and commercial markets to ACG's efforts to expand its African sports ambitions.

In the energy sector, Sahara appointed Chidilim Menakaya as Managing Director. She brings more than two decades of experience in transformation and strategy across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Menakaya previously led the Sahara Foundation's sustainability and social impact initiatives. Executive Director Ade Odunsi said the appointment reflects the company's focus on developing leadership internally as it advances its "Beyond XXX" growth agenda.

In healthcare, Abbott appointed Kay Smart as Business HR Director for its EMEA Nutrition business. Smart brings more than 22 years of HR experience, including nearly 18 years with Reckitt. At Reckitt, she led global talent acquisition for a team recruiting approximately 8,000 employees annually and helped reduce time-to-hire by 30 per cent.

Funding & Financial Inclusion: More Capital Reaches Women-Led Enterprises

Access to capital remained another important theme, with development finance institutions, banks and entrepreneurship programmes announcing new funding opportunities for women-led businesses.

In Vietnam, Proparco extended a new $20 million senior loan to EVF General Finance. Half of the financing is earmarked for climate-related co-benefits, while the other half is dedicated to women-led or women-owned SMEs. The financing builds on a $10 million loan provided in 2021. According to EVF, its portfolio now includes more than $280 million in green financing and over $700 million dedicated to women-led SMEs.

In Romania, ING Bank Romania and Visa launched the third edition of the She's Next programme. The 2026-2027 edition will provide EUR 90,000 in grants across six awards, around 50 per cent more than the previous cycle, alongside mentoring for 15 finalists. Applications are open until November 15, giving women entrepreneurs an opportunity to access both financial support and business guidance.

At Imperial College London, the WE Innovate competition is supporting women-led startup teams through a six-month programme featuring masterclasses, mentoring and an Experts-in-Residence advisory service. The programme will culminate in a pitch for a £30,000 equity-free prize fund. The model combines funding with structured support, reflecting the growing focus on helping founders develop both their businesses and the capabilities needed to scale them.

In the Caribbean, the Caribbean Development Bank activated the SheTrades Caribbean WE-CLIMB Fund, backed by €700,000 from the EU's Latin America and Caribbean Investment Facility and AFD. The fund is designed to help women-led MSMEs strengthen their climate resilience. According to the figures cited in the initiative, women-led micro, small and medium enterprises account for nearly 99.5 per cent of businesses and 60 per cent of formal productive employment across the region. The first funding call is expected in December.

Bangladesh's BRAC Bank was recognised for its own efforts to expand women's financial inclusion, winning the Women in Business Champion Award at the Asian Development Bank's 12th Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program Awards in Singapore. Its women-focused TARA banking proposition served more than 336,000 women customers by the end of 2025, representing a 22 per cent year-on-year increase. Its women-focused SME lending portfolio reached BDT 2,608 crore.

Skills, Training & Grassroots Empowerment

While access to capital remained central, several initiatives this week focused on another foundation of economic participation: skills.

In Nigeria, Flyzone Tourism partnered with Shemeans Business to connect Nigerian women entrepreneurs with international travel and business opportunities. The partnership begins with the Global Women in Business programme in Qatar this October, with plans to expand to Singapore, Cape Town and Australia. The initiative aims to create opportunities for women entrepreneurs to access international networks and explore new business connections.

Also in Nigeria, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) conducted a skills programme in Benue State. A total of 220 beneficiaries, 100 men and 120 women, completed training in solar power installation and household-product manufacturing, including soap and Vaseline. Participants also received starter packs intended to help them establish small businesses following the training.

In Pakistan, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) held an awareness session in Islamabad with the Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development. The session focused on digital marketing, online business growth, digital payments, and export readiness for women entrepreneurs. The focus on e-commerce and digital tools highlights the growing importance of online channels in helping smaller businesses reach customers and international markets.

In South Korea, the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Institute for Healthy Family to promote the country's national family-friendly workplace certification among women-owned businesses. The partnership will provide training and support to help women-led businesses adopt family-friendly management practices, linking entrepreneurship with workplace policies designed to support employees and families.

Sports, Media & Wellbeing: Women Shaping Culture On and Off the Field

Women's leadership also extended beyond business and policy this week, with developments across sport, athlete wellbeing and media.

The United States Women's Basketball Team defended its FIBA World Cup title after defeating France 97-79. The victory secured the team's fifth consecutive title and extended its unbeaten streak to 36 matches. Breanna Stewart, who scored 22 points in the final, became the tournament's first back-to-back MVP. The squad also featured several players making their first appearances for the national team at the tournament.

In English football, Manchester City launched Her City, an online platform providing the club's Women's First Team players, academy athletes, coaches and parents with research-based resources covering menstrual, pelvic and breast health, as well as nutrition. The platform emerged from a two-year project led by Director of Performance Services Emma Deakin, bringing greater attention to health considerations specific to female athletes.

In media, Dunamis Woman Enterprise expanded into streaming with the launch of the Dunamis Woman TV Network. Its programming includes the docuseries House of Healing and Dunamis Woman Today. The network is part of the wider mother-daughter enterprise founded by Dr Davetta "Dunamis Dee" Mallory and Ariel "Professor Ari" Fuller. The organisation now serves more than 125,000 women and was ranked No. 3,465 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list.

The Bigger Picture: Building the Infrastructure for Women's Leadership

Taken together, this week's stories reveal a common thread across otherwise very different sectors and geographies: women's leadership is increasingly being supported through institutions, networks and systems designed to sustain participation over time.

A new women's health forum in Paris creates a meeting point for entrepreneurs, investors and researchers. The AWEN chairmanship in Vientiane places regional business connectivity and access to capital on the agenda. A climate fund in the Caribbean directs resources towards women-led MSMEs, while programmes in Nigeria and Pakistan focus on skills, digital access and market opportunities.

The same pattern is visible in corporate leadership and sport. Senior appointments place women in decision-making roles across industries, while initiatives such as Manchester City's Her City bring female-specific health and wellbeing considerations into professional sport.

Together, these developments suggest that the global conversation around women's leadership is expanding beyond representation alone. Increasingly, the focus is on building the capital, platforms, skills, networks and institutional support through which women can participate, lead and grow across economies and communities.