Women's International Forum

Women's International Forum Women´s International Forum
www.womensinternationalforum.org
Follow us on twitter: Women’s International Forum (WIF)
Patron: Mrs.

Catarina Vaz Pinto, Spouse of the Secretary- General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres. Executive Board:
Zarina Varukatty (Singapore) President, Manipreet Tina Koonjul (Mauritius) and Lina Fernandez del Portillo (Colombia), Vice Presidents, Pascale Fabre (Belgium) Treasurer, Monique Jackman (Barbados) Secretary, Pamela Jacovides (USA), Adriana Arriola (Paraguay), Amy Gertze (Namibia), Andrea Mlynarova (Slovakia), Arlene Perly Rey (Canada), Tracy Tokuhama Espinosa (Ecuador).

Today we recognize and thank Mrs. Cindy McCain as she concludes her tenure as Executive Director of the World Food Progr...
06/11/2026

Today we recognize and thank Mrs. Cindy McCain as she concludes her tenure as Executive Director of the World Food Programme.

Leading an organization like WFP requires more than management, it requires compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to people facing some of the world’s most difficult circumstances. During her tenure, Mrs Cindy Mccain championed the fight against global hunger, helping WFP raise over $25 billion and reach more than 100 million people each year.

At WIF, we had the privilege of meeting with her at WFP headquarters and hearing firsthand about the challenges, responsibilities, and human stories behind this work. Her reflections on leadership, service, and global responsibility left a lasting impression.

Her tenure demonstrated the impact of principled leadership and the vital role women continue to play in shaping global institutions. Thank you, Mrs Mccain, for your service, your leadership, and your commitment to those most in need. We wish you every success in the next chapter and look forward to continuing to support the essential work of the World Food Programme.🌍❤️

At a moment of growing geopolitical uncertainty, WIF convened a timely and deeply engaging dialogue on the future of glo...
05/08/2026

At a moment of growing geopolitical uncertainty, WIF convened a timely and deeply engaging dialogue on the future of global security and multilateral cooperation.

Bringing together H.E. Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations and President of the 2026 NPT Review Conference, and Major General Patrick Cammaert (Ret.), former UN peacekeeping commander, the conversation explored the realities and responsibilities of maintaining peace in an increasingly fragmented world.

What made the discussion especially impactful was its ability to make the complexities of global security more accessible and understandable. By bridging diplomatic, operational, and human perspectives, the dialogue helped illuminate how international decisions, treaties, and institutions directly shape realities on the ground.

From nuclear risk and peacekeeping to civilian protection and institutional trust, the conversation offered a thoughtful reminder that multilateralism remains essential, even when consensus is difficult.

The Women’s International Forum extends its sincere gratitude to our distinguished speakers and members for contributing to such an important exchange and for The Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations for hosting

📣 WIF is thrilled to announce our May event: “Keeping the Peace: Risk, Responsibility, and the Future of Global Security...
05/05/2026

📣 WIF is thrilled to announce our May event: “Keeping the Peace: Risk, Responsibility, and the Future of Global Security”.

Featuring Our Esteemed Panelists: H.E. Mr. Do Hung Viet, Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the United Nations and Major General Patrick Cammaert (Ret)

Stay tuned for post-event insights & highlights!

WIF was delighted to host our April dialogue, “In a Time of Strain: Rethinking Stability, Risk, and Leadership,” featuri...
04/07/2026

WIF was delighted to host our April dialogue, “In a Time of Strain: Rethinking Stability, Risk, and Leadership,” featuring Dr. Mohamed El-Erian.

Dr. El-Erian, Chair of Gramercy Funds Management, Allianz Advisor, René M. Kern Professor of Practice at Wharton, Chair of the Under Armour Board, and former CEO and Co Chief Investment Officer of PIMCO and President of Queens’ College Cambridge, shared timely insights on navigating uncertainty and redefining leadership in a rapidly shifting global landscape.

Stay tuned for post event highlights.

03/18/2026

“On behalf of my family, team and I, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your recognition, support and love shown to me this past week. The engagement, coordination and general appreciation for STER’s work immensely warmed my heart and it’s one I won’t forget now or in the future. You exhibited what it means to meaningfully engage young people.” WIF Youth Prize Winner 📹

WIF was deeply honored to host our recent dialogue, “Justice without Barriers: Empowering Women and Youth in Law and Lea...
03/12/2026

WIF was deeply honored to host our recent dialogue, “Justice without Barriers: Empowering Women and Youth in Law and Leadership”

We were privileged to welcome an extraordinary panel of leaders: Ms. Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls; Ms. Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, Founder and Executive Director of the Stand to End R**e Initiative (STER); and Ms. Amanda Nguyen, CEO and Founder of Rise.

Throughout the discussion, panelists underscored the urgent need to close the gap between global commitments and the lived realities of survivors. From explicitly criminalizing femicide as a form of violence against women and girls, to strengthening survivor centered justice systems, improving data and accountability, and advancing international legal frameworks, the conversation highlighted the critical work still ahead.

Ms. Amanda Nguyen also spoke about the global effort to advance a Treaty on Universal Jurisdiction for survivors of sexual violence, emphasizing that crimes of sexual violence should be prosecutable anywhere in the world.

A powerful message echoed throughout the discussion: justice must not only exist in law and policy, but in the lived experiences of survivors.

We are deeply grateful to our panelists and to everyone who shared their voices, courage, and solidarity in this important conversation and we also extend our sincere thanks to the Permanent Mission of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the United Nations for its generous support in hosting this event.

At the Women’s International Forum, we believe that dialogue must lead to action — and our February conversation, “Prote...
02/27/2026

At the Women’s International Forum, we believe that dialogue must lead to action — and our February conversation, “Protecting Children from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility,” made that call impossible to ignore.

Shockingly over 500 million children live in conflict zones, spanning from Ukraine to Gaza and Sudan and althought the numbers are staggering , with more than 120 active conflicts around the world today, we were reminded that the gap between global commitments and the lived reality of children in conflict zones has never been wider, nor more urgent to close.

As one child in Syria powerfully put it: “A school is somewhere we enter as children and exit to protect our global future.” Yet today, millions of children are being forced to choose between safety and education — something our speaker Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, made clear we must no longer accept. She urged us all to invest in demining efforts as one of the most immediate and impactful steps we can take to restore safety to these children’s lives.

Bethany Ellis of Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict sounded an equally urgent alarm: donations to child protection actors and agencies worldwide are shrinking at an unprecedented rate — precisely when they are needed most. And yet, as Professor Lawrence Aber of NYU reminded us, science and innovation can and must be part of our collective solution.

We are deeply grateful to our extraordinary speakers for their courage, clarity, and commitment. To the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations for their generous support. And to every member and guest who showed up for this conversation — because showing up is where change begins.

Together, we must turn words into action. 🌍🕊️

📣WIF is pleased to announce our February event, “Protecting Children from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility,” featuring ...
02/25/2026

📣WIF is pleased to announce our February event, “Protecting Children from Conflict: A Shared Responsibility,” featuring Ms. Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; Ms. Bethany Ellis, Director of Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict; and Dr. Lawrence Aber, Professor of Psychology and Public Policy at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University.

Stay tuned for post-event insights and highlights.

Today’s WIF December event, “Shaping Tomorrow: Futures Thinking in Global Affairs”, brought together leading voices in f...
12/10/2025

Today’s WIF December event, “Shaping Tomorrow: Futures Thinking in Global Affairs”, brought together leading voices in foresight and global strategy to explore how futures thinking can help us move beyond crisis response toward proactive global leadership.

Deep thanks to our panelists
Ms. Ayaka Suzuki, Director of the Strategic Planning and Monitoring Unit, Executive Office of the Secretary-General
Dr. Azeema Adam, Inter-Regional Adviser on Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking, UN DESA
Ms. Sinead Bovell, Futurist, Strategic Advisor and Founder of WAYE
and to the Australian Mission to the United Nations for hosting, and to everyone who joined us.

Behind every dialogue is a team of remarkable women who give their time, experience, and creativity to our mission. To...
12/02/2025

Behind every dialogue is a team of remarkable women who give their time, experience, and creativity to our mission. Today we honor our Board Members, thank you for your unwavering dedication to fostering learning, connection, and global understanding.

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