GWL Week Wrap: Women Lead Across Business, Policy, Science & Society

A number of developments in the week showed a variety of events that demonstrated women becoming more present in different areas, such as business, entrepreneurship, policymaking, science, media, sport and community development. The events ranged from historical appointments and investments in women-run businesses to policies that concern peace and security. They showed how women have been influencing different institutions and economies in an increasing number of spheres. Issues faced by women entrepreneurs, rural women, mothers and young women were being tackled by organizations and governments around the world.

Leadership was yet another theme that came up, with Annette Gregg being the first female leader in the World Trade Centers Association, and Sister Mary Teresa Barron being appointed as the leader of the Pontifical Mission Societies. In the business world, Adriana Sein became the president of Americas at Believe, and Amanda Almond was named as the President, International, at The Hershey Company. Institutionally, Denise Pires de Carvalho became an Assistant Director-General for Sciences at UNESCO.

Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship have also emerged as strong themes, with 16 recommendations for women entrepreneurs in Sharjah, Ecobank targeting $2 billion from women-led companies by 2030, and a new initiative in Nigeria giving skills and livelihood opportunities to women and youth farmers. FADEMUR in Spain highlighted rural women entrepreneurs through its fair, while SuperMush raised Series A funding worth $3 million.

There was also progress made by women in peace-building, TV, sport, technology, and healthcare during the week. The Seychelles introduced its first Women, Peace, and Security National Action Plan; Renee Xie emerged victorious as the first woman to win the GUKPT Main Event; and the Wonder Women Conference 2026 gathered top women in television to discuss the future of production in the UK. In the Philippines, TECNO focused on the stories of 15 women in introducing a new smartphone, whereas an international survey showed that the issue of excessive heat is becoming more concerning for pregnant women and babies.

Women Take Up Historic Leadership Roles

The issue of women’s presence in positions of power was one of the prominent issues discussed throughout the week with many appointees making history both within international organizations and global companies.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Mary Teresa Barron, N.S.A., as undersecretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization and president of the Pontifical Mission Societies thus becoming the first female person ever leading the organization. The appointment will take place on January 4, 2027. Currently, she works as the superior general of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles and possesses rich missionary background working in Africa countries including Nigeria and Tanzania and addressing such issues as AIDS, pastoral activities and women’s projects.

Another significant appointment occurred at the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), where Annette Gregg was appointed as the association’s first woman CEO in the organization’s 57 years of history. Greggs has taken the role effective October 5 and will be serving as a leader from the organization’s new global headquarters situated at One World Trade Center in New York City. She has more than 30 years of experience in the leadership roles within various organizations including associations, private sector companies, global events, and hospitality. The WTCA is linked to more than 300 World Trade Centers located in nearly 100 countries and territories.

In UNESCO, Denise Pires de Carvalho, an academic and scientist of Brazil, has been designated as the Assistant Director-General for Sciences under Director-General Khaled El-Enany. She will become part of UNESCO’s Senior Management Team and help in fostering research collaboration on an international level, open science, and knowledge sharing within scientific communities. She has a lot of experience in academia, science management, and science policy. She has been the President of CAPES and has been the first woman to be elected as Rector of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro from 2019 to 2023.

Corporate Leadership & Global Business Expansion

The women also took leadership positions within the corporate structures in music and consumer goods sectors.

Believe has announced that Adriana Sein has been appointed as the President of Americas, marking the emergence of a new leadership position within Believe that will cover the Americas comprising both the North and South America regions. Sein will be reporting to Global Head of Music Romain Vivien, and will be responsible for running all commercial activities of Believe in the United States, Canada and Latin America regions, along with heading Believe’s Label & Artist Solutions. She was previously working with ADA of Warner Music Group as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Artist & Market Development.

On the other hand, Amanda Almond has been appointed President, International, at The Hershey Company, taking office on October 12, 2026. She takes over from Rohit Grover, who has worked at Hershey for 27 years and has been overseeing the company’s international business for the past eight years. Amanda Almond has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of consumer goods and retail, having served in the capacity of Regional Managing Director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Vinarchy, overseeing operations in 57 markets.

These are some examples of how women are increasingly being appointed to senior positions overseeing international markets and business expansion.

Financing & Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs

The availability of capital, markets, and business networks was a critical element in several of the week’s happenings.

The Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC), in collaboration with the American University of Sharjah, launched two policy reports that had 16 recommendations designed to help women entrepreneurs and social enterprises. The recommendations focused on finance, market opportunities, networks, and mentorship. The study covered 119 women entrepreneurs, conducting four dialogues and field work. One of the major findings revealed that 75% of the surveyed entrepreneurs used their savings to fund their ventures, emphasizing the importance of having access to external finance.

Ecobank Group in Africa made a loan portfolio commitment of $2 billion towards women-owned firms, as well as a $600 million commitment towards agriculture SMEs and value chain financing by 2030. This is in line with the bank’s overall strategy to encourage women entrepreneurship and agribusiness across the various countries in which it operates. Using its Ellevate program, the bank has set a goal of expanding its reach to 400,000 formally registered firms, while at the same time developing financing solutions for one million women-owned micro-enterprises.

Another instance of entrepreneurial success is the amount of investment obtained by SuperMush, which is a wellness-based company that was founded in 2022 by Alli Schaper and Brian Friedman. This company has received an investment amounting to $3 million from NDude Labs, which is a venture capital firm focused on healthcare and wellness. SuperMush produces wellness-based products like nootropics, adaptogens, and functional mushrooms. The products of SuperMush are being sold in over 2,000 retail shops across the United States including over 1,000 Target stores and Sprouts.

Supporting Rural Women & Community Livelihoods

Economic empowerment went further than existing businesses to reach out to rural and farm communities.

Olam Agri and the Sustainable Collective Advocacy for Africa Development (SCAAD) have rolled out the Community Resilience Opportunities for Women and Youth Project (CROWY SOY) in Kwara State, Nigeria. The project aims at providing skills and entrepreneurship training to women and youth farmers in the period outside their farming seasons in order to increase income-generating abilities. This project has built upon the success of a previous stage where 100 vulnerable women and youth in Nasarawa and Benue states were helped from December 2025 to March 2026 through skills training in various trades such as soap-making, hairdressing, shoe-making, carpentry, tailoring and welding.

The Federation of Rural Women’s Associations of Spain (FADEMUR) organized the Great Fair of Women Entrepreneurs in Salamanca on October 7-8. The fair was organized as part of the celebration of International Day of Rural Women. Products produced by rural women entrepreneurs were exhibited during this fair, including olive oil, honey, jams, sweet wines, pottery, organic cosmetics, jewelry, and fabrics. It was more than just an exhibition of goods; it was a showcase of the stories, creativity, and entrepreneurship of rural women entrepreneurs.

Women, Peace, Security & Public Policy

Seychelles took a crucial step towards implementing an important policy through the formulation of the nation’s first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security for 2026-2030 on October 7. The Government of Seychelles came out with the National Action Plan in collaboration with the African Union Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security through a two-day program held in Mahé.

This National Action Plan of Seychelles makes it the 38th African Union Member State to adopt a national action plan that focuses on the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The program had a training workshop with the aim of improving national capacity for implementation of the agenda.

Women Reshaping Media, Entertainment & Sport

Leadership and professional landscape changes were also an issue within the entertainment industry.

This topic was addressed at the Conference of Wonder Women 2026 held at BAFTA in London. Leading women leaders in the UK television and creative industry discussed the issues and problems that exist in the world of production industry. They discussed how the rise in online streaming is transforming television by providing new opportunities and how it is contributing to the decline of the production industry in the UK. There was also a call for increased collaboration between broadcasters, streaming services, production companies and investors. There should be also investment in creative talent and leadership of women.

On the sports front, Renee Xie became the first-ever woman to clinch a big tournament title at the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT), winning the GUKPT Luton Main Event on September 6, having defeated 396 other players to win it. It is the first time that a woman has won a main event at GUKPT in its 20-year history. Xie is an amateur poker player and she claims that playing the game has helped her become resilient, emotionally intelligent, and socially skilled. Women currently form 4% of all poker players in the world, says 888Poker.

Technology, Representation & Women’s Everyday Stories

Women’s experiences became highlighted by TECNO during the launch of the CAMON SLIM 5G in the Philippines through the "MAKE IT LIGHTER: The Living Cover Runway" event. This event was participated in by 15 Filipino women of different kinds, from entrepreneurs to businesswomen, technology experts, community builders, celebrities and creatives.

In addition to the role of the fashion show where TECNO’s new smartphone would be shown, this runway was meant to demonstrate each participant’s story, professional and personal, relating to career, motherhood, identity and daily life. Those who got attention there included Ely Halig, a single mother and an advertising expert, and Twinkle Dimayuga, a single mother involved in MAMA, Mothers Advocating through Ministry and Action.

Women’s Health & Climate Concerns

Another important issue concerning women was raised through a global survey conducted by Wellcome: the link between heat and maternity. This survey included 1,000 healthcare professionals who work in India, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe as obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, nurses, and others.

According to the data provided by those who took part in the survey, more than 70% of them have observed an increasing number of cases of heat problems among pregnant women in the last five years. Thus, about 73% of healthcare professionals mentioned increasing problems related to pregnant women, while 76% said that there was a growing number of cases concerning heat issues among fetus and newborn babies. It was found that 98% of all healthcare professionals have dealt with pregnant women affected by heat, while 99% of them have treated babies affected by the problem.

Conclusion

The events from this week show that women’s leadership is getting shaped through many aspects – in corporate offices and international bodies, in rural companies and scientific associations, in peace-building activities, in media, in sports, and other community activities. The selection of women to serve in traditionally male-dominated positions was combined with practical work aimed at opening up more financing opportunities for entrepreneurship development and for women themselves.

In addition, the events of the past week show that representation alone is insufficient. Access to funds, professional networks, mentoring, skills, institutional resources, and protection of their health needs to be provided in order for women to be able to work and lead effectively. In relation to financial access, professional networks, mentoring, development of skills, institutional resources, and health protection of women, attention is being drawn to creating structures that allow women to innovate, lead, and contribute.