About the Council and Our Mission

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The Council of Women World Leaders is  a network of current and former women
presidents and prime ministers. The Council currently has 36 Members.

 

The Council's mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders

globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable

development. A ministerial initiative that engages sitting and former women ministers and

cabinet members is an integral and essential part of the Council structure.

The Council and Ministerial Initiative create a global architecture for giving a collective

voice to women at the highest levels of government. Their mission is to promote good

governance and enhance the experience of democracy globally by increasing the
number, effectiveness, and visibility of women world leaders.

 

Mary Robinson, President of Ireland (1990-97) is Chair of the Council, and

Margot Wallström, Vice President of the European Commission is Chair of the Ministerial
Initiative.

 

Beginning in 1998, the Council launched an effort to promote ministerial-level exchange

on global issues, identify and address the particular challenges facing women in

ministerial leadership positions, and increase their visibility both nationally and internationally. 

 

Ministers and other high level women leaders representing seven sectors were convened

between 1998 and 2005 of which five were formalized into ministerial networks

(Environment; Finance, Economics, and Development; Women’s Affairs; Health; and Culture).

 

Building the capacity of emerging women leaders has always been a key

dimension of the Council’s mission.  Its early association with Harvard and the later

addition of Columbia University supported the development of a program that places

promising young women with Council members and in the offices of other women leaders

for summer fellowships.  As of 2007, 62 young women and one young man have

served as fellows with 24 offices worldwide. 

 

In 2002, an executive education program was developed to provide emerging women

leaders in the South Pacific island states with skills in managing political and economic reform. 

Most recently, the Council has initiated a Ministerial Fellows Exchange Program to promote

and support women’s governmental leadership and gender sensitive policy development

through cross-cultural exchange.