About the Event
Female Leadership Forum:
Scaling Impact: Actionable Models for Women’s Leadership
Hosted by Junior Chamber International (JCI) at the 2026 NGO CSW Forum 70, this virtual parallel event spotlights actionable and scalable models that strengthen women’s leadership across sectors and regions.
Date: 18 March 2026
Time: 12:30 – 2:00 PM GMT
Platform: Zoom
Languages: English, Spanish, French, Japanese
Interpretation: Provided
A virtual forum convening women leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, youth representatives and partners to examine what prevents women from advancing into decision-making roles and to co-design practical, scalable solutions.
Objectives
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Identify key barriers preventing women from advancing into decision-making roles across sectors and regions.
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Examine structural causes behind these barriers, including institutional, economic, cultural and policy factors.
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Share practical examples of reforms and initiatives that have created measurable progress.
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Strengthen cross-sector collaboration to expand leadership pathways for women.
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Co-design realistic, scalable actions and measurable success indicators to support implementation beyond the Forum.
Event Highlights
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Expert keynote and cross-sector panel focused on decision-making power, not only representation
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Structured Leadership Lab to move from challenges to solutions in 30 minutes
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Parallel breakout rooms in four languages with consistent facilitation and data gathering
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Live participation online with wider public reach via Facebook Live simulcast
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Action-oriented outputs designed to support follow-up partnerships and implementation
Host:
Georgina Matamoros, JCI Women in Leadership Commission Chairperson
Opening Remarks
Alejandra Castillo, 2026 JCI President
Keynote Address: Women’s Leadership for Sustainable Impact
High-level insights on why women’s participation in decision-making is essential and why structural change is necessary to unlock leadership potential at scale by guest speakers.
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Panel Discussion
Strengthening Women’s Leadership Pipelines Across Sectors
Moderator: Nathalia Cardenas, JCI Partnerships Director
Partner speakers:
Dr. Márcia Balisciano
Chief Sustainability Officer and Global Head of Corporate Responsibility
RELX
Aleyna Sayin
President
AIESEC International
Sanjana Chhantyal
Member
UN Women ROAP’s 30 for 2030 Network.
Shannon Kobran
Head of Education and Training
SDG Academy
Workshop Dialogue
From Challenges to Solutions: A Practical Leadership Lab
Facilitators:
Rycho Cheuk
Deputy Chair
JCI Women in Leadership Commission
(English)
Virginia
De Gorostiza Gori
Representative for
JCI Women in Leadership for America
(Spanish)
Rokaya Jamaly
JCI Vice President
assigned to
Africa and the Middle East
(French)
Marii Kitamura
Past JCI Vice President assigned to
Asia and the Pacific
(Japanese)
Key Topics
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Women’s Full and Effective Participation in Decision-Making
Examining where gaps persist in leadership and governance across sectors. -
Structural Barriers to Advancement
Identifying institutional, economic, cultural and policy-related factors that limit women’s progression into positions of authority. -
From Representation to Leadership Power
Ensuring that participation translates into meaningful influence over policies, institutions and economic systems. -
Institutional Reform and Accountability
Highlighting governance mechanisms and leadership models that strengthen equitable access to decision-making. -
Actionable and Scalable Solutions
Building consensus one action to accelerate progress toward gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Program Overview
