GWL Week Wrap: Women Drive Change across Global Business Sectors

Entrepreneurship, business opportunities, leadership, and innovation were some of the key aspects dominating the global conversation about women this week. Across various geographical locations, women entrepreneurs and leaders established themselves by impacting businesses, occupying key positions, exploring new markets, and using technology to generate economic opportunities.

One of the major highlights of the week was the increased attention paid to the financing of women-owned businesses. UNDP and UN Women announced an initiative to increase the financial opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, whereas business forums in Dhaka, Sharjah, and Qatar facilitated the exploration of opportunities for trade and investments for women.

The global platform saw an increased focus on technology and innovation in the business realm, through innovations leveraging technology and AI to solve various economic and societal problems. Also, young women excelled in various sports and made headlines by setting records in swimming and speed cubing and through developments in women’s chess and culture.

Read on to discover this week’s GWL Week Wrap highlighting women’s participation and influence across enterprises, economic inclusions, technology, sports and culture, expanding avenues across geographies and industries.  

Women Entrepreneurs, Business Leadership & Economic Impact

Leadership, markets, financing, and career development continue to pave way for growth opportunities for women in business ecosystems across diverse geographies.

Karachi Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KWCCI), Malir District has elected Nazli Abid Nisar as its President for the term 2026-2028. The election was held at the AGM of the Chamber on September 5, 2026. With an aim to boost the ecosystem of the women businessmen by creating opportunities and networking among other things, the new Executive Committee will strive to achieve this goal.

The Sharjah-China Businesswomen Forum held by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) facilitated the interaction between women entrepreneurs from Sharjah and China for the identification of business opportunities. The forum strengthened business relations and economic collaboration and paved ways for women-led businesses to be part of global value chains and exploit new markets through technology-based business collaborations.

In a business dialogue organized by Qatar Chamber, women entrepreneurs gathered in Doha to discuss their experiences and business challenges, along with possible future plans for the growth of their businesses. Organized by Women Entrepreneurs Community (WEC), the discussion included topics related to entrepreneurship, customer requirements, brand building, and sustaining the business.

Yvonne Taylor has assumed her new role as Chair of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) for three years. The Chair of BICSc is responsible for providing strategic guidance to the organization on industry standards, professional training and skill development, and digital transformation and management of the commercial activities of BICSc.

A recently established collaboration between the UNDP and UN Women is set to boost financial inclusion and entrepreneurship among Afghan women entrepreneurs through the Afghanistan Women’s Fund for Resilient Enterprises (AWFRE). This fund shall offer finance and business development assistance to the Afghan women to overcome challenges related to finance, skills, and access to markets.

The eWomenNetwork's newest Madison Chapter, enables women entrepreneurs and business executives to network and grow. Headed by Masha Pavlova, it seeks to provide business resources, strategic contacts and leadership guidance to women in the greater Madison region. Patti Beres, President and CEO of Be Green Pro delivered a speech on business growth and self-fulfillment for women leaders and entrepreneurs.

The second edition of W.O.W Market has brought about a unique marketplace in Dhaka which will help 30 women entrepreneurs, artisans and designers market their product range to new customers. The event has been organized at Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan which will feature firms dealing with fashion, crafts, food and sustainable products. Runa Khan, founder of Friendship, has inaugurated this market place and interacted with the women entrepreneurs. Women who have participated in the previous event have appreciated the importance of such a platform in increasing visibility and gaining confidence among others.

Women in Business, Technology & Emerging Opportunities

Women are driven to pave new pathways increase their business and economic influence in domains such as technology, investment, and workforce development.

Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference 2026 was held by U.S. Senator Peter Welch and Margaret Cheney at Vermont State University in Randolph. Women entrepreneurs and business people gathered to discuss ways of achieving economic growth. During the conference, interactive sessions on the topics of business development, AI, gender equality, audience extension, and skill development were conducted.

Imperia, an initiative launched by Melania Trump, centered on female leadership and economic empowerment, marked by her ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. This initiative will involve CEOs, innovators, and entrepreneurs as they deliberate on women’s participation in business and the world economy. Her speech emphasized economic participation outside representation in leadership roles, and pointed to business ownership, equity, real estate, capital and investments, while also highlighting intellectual property, ideas and women’s broader economic interests.

Collaboration between Gates Foundation and MTN Group Foundation has resulted in the development of an AI-based platform for maternal health in Nigeria, aimed at improving healthcare services for 500,000 women by 2030. Through the Nigeria Maternal Health Multiplier project, 5,000 health care workers would be provided with digital technologies for early identification of pregnancy complications with 500 health centers linked to provide consistent standards of maternal health care services. The four-year partnership will begin with approximately $25 million in direct and in-kind support from the Gates Foundation and MTN over the four years, 2026 to 2030.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in Liberia has collaborated with Cybastion to set up five innovation centers for women to receive skills in ICT, business training, mentoring, and business development services. Through its Theya Foundation, Cybastion will be collaborating with Cisco in providing trainings, and the hubs will also have day care services to facilitate motherhood. A flagship campus will be located in Monrovia and four other regional campuses will be built in Voinjama, Gbarnga, Kakata and Buchanan. Support for business development and mentorship for the participating women will be offered by the campuses.

Nu Mexico and Jalisco Secretariat for Economic Development (SEDECO) have collaborated to launch an initiative ‘Generación Nu’, providing 300 technology scholarships to unemployed and underemployed women. This 12-week program is meant to equip individuals with skills related to technology, employability, and money management in order to increase their preparedness for the current labor market. The collaboration seeks to broaden the agenda beyond access to financial services to financial inclusion and tech education along with women-focused economic development.

Women Redefining Success across Sports, Culture & Business

Whether through world-record performance, leadership skills, and/or global business ventures, women have been making their presence felt in all sorts of competitive, cultural, and business sphere.

Chinese women swimmer, Yu Zidi added another accomplishment to her fast-growing successful career, becoming a 13-year-old Asian Games champion after winning the women’s 200m butterfly in Japan on September 20. The Chinese swimmer clocked 2:05.08, thus winning the gold medal 3.36 seconds before her competitor from China Chang Mohan and breaking the Asian Games record that was set three years ago by Zhang Zufei at 2:05.57.

Six-year-old Lian Yunzhi from Sichuan Province, China, has made an indelible mark in the international speed cubing community with her successful two-time breaking of the women’s 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube world record in just three days. This was done with her setting the record first at the Wuhan Red Autumn 2026 tournament with an average time of 4.52 seconds and further improving it to 4.27 seconds at the Guangzhou GraDUAL 3x3 IV 2026 tournament. Through her achievements, Lian becomes the first ever female speedcuber to clock an average of less than 4.5 seconds officially.

The Women’s Chess Olympiad intensifies as China and Kazakhstan continued to remain joint leaders for first place with 13/14 match points after drawing 2-2 in Round Seven. India and Georgia trail only by a single point with 12/14 match points. The defending champions secured a 3.5-0.5 victory, moving their total to 12/14 and bringing them within one match point of the leaders.

‘All That Glisters,’ an intriguing mystery comedy penned and directed by Trilby Glover, will make its debut as a special spotlight entry at the Australian Women's Film Festival in Sydney on September 23, 2026. Set amidst a Hollywood Hills dinner party, the film features aging and aspiring actors who have gathered to get recognition and relevance in their respective fields. Power, ambition, friendship and struggles with defining oneself as an artist are all themes explored in the film.

A seven-year review by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada highlights the impact of its Women’s Business Mission Series on women-led entrepreneurship and trade diversification. During the period 2019 to April 2026, the program brought together 189 Canadian women entrepreneurs and the Indo-Pacific region via 10 missions and 4 investment meetings.

Conclusion:

The recent trends show women gaining a solid foundational ground in all spheres such as business, technology, leadership, and sports. As a consequence, the focus has now shifted from participation, ownership and capability to accessing markets and building networks worldwide. The above trends are reflective of thriving business environment allowing women to leverage the emerging opportunities adding value to business on global platforms.