The event marked one of the largest gatherings in the event\u2019s history as women leaders from across the continent reflected on resilience, innovation and leadership in uncertain times. Held in celebration of International Women\u2019s Day, the summit highlighted the transformative role women continue to play in business, public service, science, the creative industries and social impact sectors.<\/p>\n
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Speaking to Channel Africa on Friday, Renuka Methil, Managing Editor of Forbes and Forbes Woman Africa, described the occasion as both emotional and energising. \u201cWhen we started 11 years ago, it was 10 tables and 100 women in the room. Now we are oversubscribed, with nearly 1 500 people in attendance and many more joining online,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is an incredible feeling to bring together such powerful role models who inspire the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s theme, The Voice, Vision and Victories of Her Africa, focused on the continent\u2019s young and female demographic and the critical role women play in economic growth. Methil emphasised that the summit celebrates women from all sectors, including those whose work is often overlooked. \u201cWe feature women from unheard\u2011of sectors, the unsung heroines. It is not only about business titans but leaders in sport, the arts, science and public service,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Speakers included the first female Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo and former Ethiopian president Sahle\u2011Work Zewde, both of whom shared experiences of driving inclusion and policy reform in their countries. Panels explored themes such as artificial intelligence, fintech, climate change, C\u2011suite leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion.<\/p>\n
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One standout discussion focused on caregivers and the undervalued support systems behind women\u2019s professional success. \u201cSupport structures are rarely celebrated, yet they make leadership possible for so many women,\u201d Methil said.<\/p>\n
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She noted that the summit\u2019s growing impact is visible in stories from attendees. \u201cWhen someone tells me they started a business, wrote a book or became a lawyer because they were inspired at this summit, that is measurable action,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":29430,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-29429","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The 11th Annual Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit drew more than 1 500 attendees to Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 18.\u00a0","published_date":"","news_description":"","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/29429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/29429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29431,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/29429\/revisions\/29431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=29429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}