Staying at the Table: Women Leading Through Change | Goals Lounge| United Nations

Women’s leadership does not diminish with age—it deepens. Yet too often, women are expected to narrow their roles or step out of visibility just as their experience and influence grow. This conversation creates a moment to recognise women’s leadership across the life course and to reaffirm the value of authority built over time. Aligned with the priorities of the Commission on the Status of Women, the discussion brings together women whose leadership spans business, culture and public advocacy, illustrating how influence can be carried forward to shape institutions, narratives and policy agendas. It challenges ageism alongside sexism, reframing later stage leadership not as reinvention, but as continuity of power, voice and public contribution. Linking lived experience to the Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, the conversation moves beyond personal narrative to structural questions: what enables women to keep leading across stages of life, what barriers still limit that leadership, and what commitments are needed to ensure women’s experience is recognised as a public asset. The focus is clear—enabling women to continue shaping decisions and driving impact at every age and stage of life. Moderator: Karen Davila, Broadcast Journalist, Television News Anchor and Radio Presenter, UN Women National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines Speakers: Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, Nigeria Loida Lewis, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, TLC Beatrice, LLC and Reginald F. Lewis Foundation


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