THE FEMINIST LEADERSHIP CONVENING 2025: REIMAGINING
LEADERSHIP
IN POLYCRISES
THE FEMINIST LEADERSHIP CONVENING 2025: REIMAGINING
LEADERSHIP
IN POLYCRISIS
September 10 & 11
In crisis, we tend to revert back to the familiar. But traditional leadership approaches are part of what got us here.
That’s why we hosted the first-ever Feminist Leadership Convening: Reimagining Leadership in Polycrisis online in the Feminist Leadership Hub.
Hundreds of civil society practitioners joined us for two days of collective learning, new connections, and strengthening solidarity, with sessions led by Hub members as well as external guests.
Recordings for all sessions are available within the Feminist Leadership Hub.
Not a member yet? Join now for free!
PROGRAMME
With the exception of 30-minute sessions on Day 2, all sessions will end 5 minutes early to allow for a moment of rest and transition.
Sessions with a * will have simultaneous English/French interpretation.
Les sessions marquées d’un astérisque (*) seront accompagnées d’une interprétation simultanée en anglais et en français
Wednesday September 10th
10:00-11:00 IST | 6:30-7:30 CEST
More information to be announced
11:00-12:00 IST | 7:30-8:30 CEST
Join this workshop for an introduction to the core ideas of Techjustice, a movement focused on equity, inclusion, and accountability in the digital age. Through storytelling, participatory reflection, and systems thinking, you’ll examine how technology reinforces inequality and what it takes to reclaim technological futures that serve people and the planet.
Hosted by Sakthisree Venkatesan
11:00-12:00 IST | 7:30-8:30 CEST
Once spaces for connection and community, social media platforms are now shaped by algorithms and profit-driven governance, often at the cost of people’s safety, voices, and rights — especially in the Global South. In this interactive session by Point of View’s Platform Accountability Campaign, we will Play, Feel, Resist, and Imagine as we explore harms, share experiences, and reimagine justice and accountability online.
12:00-13:00 IST | 8:30-9:30 CEST
12:00-13:00 IST | 8:30-9:30 CEST
Discover how putting care, healing, and community wellbeing at the centre makes you a stronger, more effective leader, whose leadership nourishes you while empowering the communities you serve.
Hosted by Anne-Sharlene Murapa (Kurapa Moyo)
13:00-14:00 IST | 9:30-10:30 CEST
What if your rage wasn’t something to suppress, but something to understand? “Rage: Talk and Play” is an experiential online workshop designed to help participants explore their relationship with anger in a safe, creative, and empowering space. Through guided reflection, grounding practices, and expressive drawing, this workshop transforms rage from an overwhelming emotion into a meaningful message. Participants will locate anger in their bodies, give it form and color, and uncover what their rage might be protecting underneath it all. Hosted by Simoni Agarwal (she/her).
14:00-15:30 IST | 10:30-12:00 CEST
EN
Deep dive with RESURJ into leadership transitions as necessary shifts within feminist ecosystems. How do we ensure that the process – with all of its challenges, opportunities and uncertainties – embodies feminist principles?
FR
À quoi pourrait ressembler une approche féministe des transitions de leadership? Participez à cette session enrichissante pour explorer ensemble de nouvelles perspectives. Animé par RESURJ.
EN
What might a decolonised humanitarianism look like in a world where the liberal order’s most basic norms — such as the prohibition against starvation and the targeting of civilians — are being routinely violated?
This talk will answer that question by exploring the shifting terrain of humanitarianism in an era marked by rupture, the erosion of multilateralism, and the entrenchment of impunity — particularly in the case of Palestine. Drawing on ethnographic work and political critique, we will examine how humanitarian responses are (re-)shaped by colonial continuities, securitised logics, and grassroots resistance.
Hosted by Dr. Philip Proudfoot, Institute of Development Studies
FR
À quoi pourrait ressembler un humanitarisme décolonisé dans un monde où les normes les plus fondamentales de l’ordre libéral – telles que l’interdiction de la famine et des attaques contre les civil.e.s – sont régulièrement violées ?
Cette session répondra à cette question en explorant l’évolution du terrain de l’humanitaire à une époque marquée par les ruptures, l’érosion du multilatéralisme et l’enracinement de l’impunité, en particulier dans le cas de la Palestine. En nous appuyant sur des travaux ethnographiques et des critiques politiques, nous examinerons comment les réponses humanitaires sont (re)façonnées par les continuités coloniales, les logiques sécuritaires et la résistance populaire.
Animé par le Dr Philip Proudfoot, Institute of Development Studies
With Jerin Anne Jacob, Shivi et Daraa Patel; hosted by Merima Šišić (Heinrich Böll Foundation, Global Unit for Feminism and Gender Democracy).
Thursday September 11th
With Suki Capobianco (Better Politics Foundation), Evidence Zala (Nalafem) and a Anish Gawande (National Spokesperson, NCP India).
Moderated by Kanksshi Agarwal, NETRI Foundation
Join We Are Feminist Leaders for a reflective workshop to explore a feminist lens on scarcity and how it is currently affecting us at different levels, generating ideas and practices collectively and reimagining the resources available to us beyond funding.
Hosted by Charity Bafana, Restless Development.
What if we measured leadership, care, and agency—not just outputs? Join us to explore Wedu’s feminist MEARL framework, see real impact data in action, and reimagine how measurement can drive equity and transformation.
In a world where feminist leaders are constantly resisting burnout, violence, and erasure, storytelling becomes more than a practice—it becomes a form of survival and strategy. This session will explore how art-based storytelling can restore agency, cultivate resilience in times of conflict, especially for feminist leaders and activists with a case study from Afghanistan.
Join this session to learn about common pitfalls in reporting, the role of journalists in shaping discourse, and practical strategies for ethical, sensitive, and survivor-centred reporting.
FULLY BOOKED
This session explores how AI systems—despite their promise—are quietly compounding gender inequities, particularly in the Global Majority. Through a gendered lens, we’ll unpack the hidden costs women disproportionately bear and offer a provocation: what feminist foresight is needed to build just technological futures?
EN
Let’s unpack the contemporary rise of anti-gender and anti-democracy mobilisations. In this workshop with Just Futures Collaborative, you’ll explore the tactics, stories, and underlying values promoted by these movements, for example learning to critically evaluate terms such as “anti-rights.” Through group-based skills-building exercises, participants will decode real-world messages to uncover their hidden assumptions, emotions, and agendas. Together, we will reflect on the deeper narratives at play and strengthen our collective ability to challenge them.
FR
Explorons la montée actuelle des mobilisations anti-genre et anti-démocratie. Dans cet atelier animé par Just Futures Collaborative, vous découvrirez les tactiques, les récits et les valeurs sous-jacentes promues par ces mouvements, et apprendrez par exemple à évaluer de manière critique des termes tels que « anti-droits ». Grâce à des exercices de renforcement des compétences en groupe, les participants décoderont des messages du monde réel afin de mettre au jour leurs hypothèses, leurs émotions et leurs intentions cachées. Ensemble, nous réfléchirons aux récits plus profonds qui sont en jeu et renforcerons notre capacité collective à les remettre en question.
EN
In this panel hosted by Sharon Eryenyu (Akina Mama wa Afrika) will provide a space to reflect on and exchange ideas around feminist alternatives to the emerging systems. Participants are invited to grapple with questions, possibilities, and visions for governance in the face of rapidly shifting systems that have plunged the world into overlapping and intersecting crises.
With Hala Al Karib, Rebecca Mweru Kabejja, and Olabukunola (Buky) Williams.
FR
Au cours de cette session, Sharon Eryenyu (Akina Mama wa Afrika) offrira un espace de réflexion et d’échange d’idées autour des alternatives féministes aux systèmes émergents. Les participant.e.s sont invité.e.s à se pencher sur les questions, les possibilités et les visions en matière de gouvernance face à des systèmes en mutation rapide qui ont plongé le monde dans des crises qui se chevauchent et s’entrecroisent.
Avec Hala Al Karib, Rebecca Mweru Kabejja et Olabukunola (Buky) Williams.
Join us to close the Feminist Leadership Convening with a musical performance from Shishani!
Deeply rooted in soul, indie, R&B, hip-hop and jazz, Shishani continuously explores musical heritage from their motherland Namibia while building social awareness as well as empathy for self and others.
10.09.2025
OPENING AND KEYNOTE*
10:00-11:00 IST | 6:30-7:30 CEST
To be announced
TECHJUSTICE NOW: POWER, SYSTEMS AND RECLAIMING AGENCY
11:00-12:00 IST | 7:30-8:30 CEST
Who built the digital systems that run our lives? Who decides how they work?
In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to the core ideas of TechJustice, a movement focused on equity, inclusion, and accountability in the digital age. Using storytelling, participatory reflection, and systems thinking, you’ll examine how technology reinforces inequality and what it takes to reclaim technological futures that serve people and the planet.
Hosted by Sakthisree Venkatesan
LOGGED IN, LEFT OUT: A GAME-BASED DIVE INTO PLATFORM ACCOUNTABILITY
11:00-12:00 IST | 7:30-8:30 CEST
Once spaces for connection and community, social media platforms are now shaped by algorithms and profit-driven governance, often at the cost of people’s safety, voices, and rights — especially in the Global South. In this interactive session by Point of View’s Platform Accountability Campaign, we will Play, Feel, Resist, and Imagine as we explore harms, share experiences, and reimagine justice and accountability online.
WORLD YWCA'S INTEGENERATIONAL TRIANGLE: A GUIDE TO SHARE LEADERSHIP
12:00-13:00 IST | 8:30-9:30 CEST
Intergenerational leadership isn’t about who leads next; it’s about how we lead now, together. In practice, even when it’s messy, hard, and beautiful, we have a more just world.
In this workshop, you will be introduced to three interconnected elements that form the intergenerational triangle:
– Guiding Principles that illuminate the soul of intergenerational leadership
– Building Blocks that are tools and practices to make intergenerational leadership happen
– Archetypes that name the diverse roles and energies we each and collectively may embody in leadership
Hosted by World YWCA & One Future Collective
CARE-CENTERED IMPACT
12:00-13:00 IST | 8:30-9:30 CEST
More information TBA. Hosted by Anne-Sharlene Murapa (Kurapa Moyo)
HEALING MOVEMENT SPACE / BREAK
13:00-14:00 IST | 9:30-10:30 CEST
More information TBA
EXPLORING AND NAVIGATING LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS WITHIN THE FEMINIST ECOSYSTEM*
14:00-15:30 IST | 10.30-12:00 CEST
Deep dive into leadership transitions as necessary shifts within feminist ecosystems as we try to ensure that the process embodies feminist principles. Hosted by Shubha and Sibusiso of RESURJ.
HUMANITARIAN AID, DECOLONISATION & ACCOUNTABILITY*
15:30-17:00 IST | 12:00-13:30 CEST
More information TBA. Hosted by Philip Proudfoot.
THE POWER OF ART: OPEN MIC
17:00-18:00 IST | 13.30-14:30 CEST
We pass the mic to members of the Feminist Leadership Hub community for an hour of performances to close the first day!
Hosted by the Heinrich Böll Foundation: Global Unit for Feminism & Gender Democracy
11.09.2025
PANEL: FEMINIST LEADERSHIP, POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY
13:30-14:30 IST | 10.00-11:00 CEST
More information TBA. Hosted by Kanksshi Agarwal (NETRI Foundation).
SESSION TBA
14:30-15:30 IST | 11.00-12:00 CEST
More information TBA
SAFEGUARDING
14.30-15:30 IST | 11.00-12:00 CEST
More information TBA. Hosted by Stephen Birtwistle, Laudes Foundation.
REIMAGINING MEASUREMENT: A FEMINIST IMPACT FRAMEWORK
15:30-16:30 IST | 12.00-13:00 CEST
What if we measured leadership, care, and agency—not just outputs? Join us to explore Wedu’s feminist MEARL framework, see real impact data in action, and reimagine how measurement can drive equity and transformation.
You’ll learn how Wedu integrates intersectional, community-informed metrics across programs and internal systems, including their HR policies.
Join the session to explore their open dashboards, learn from feminist-aligned measurement in action, and reflect on your own organisation’s practices.
STORIES AS SEEDS: TELLING OUR WAY TO LIBERATION
15:30-16:00 IST | 12.00-13:00 PM CEST
Through a combination of freewriting exercises, poetry prompts, and visual storytelling, participants will explore creative formats to express their identities, histories, dreams, and visions for liberation.
Experience the ways in which your stories can empower personal growth and collective change.
Hosted by Shataakshi Verma and Sharanya Sekaram
FEMINIST FRIENDSHIP SPEED DATING
16:30-17:30 IST | 13:00-14:00 CEST
Turn fresh faces into new friends in few snappy rounds of Feminist Friendship Speed-Dating, hosted by the Feminist Leadership Hub.
HOSTING ENGAGING ONLINE SPACES
16:30-17:00 IST | 13:00-13:30 CEST
In today’s day and age, many of us are trying to build community through the wires. In this workshop, you’ll learn online community-building activities and methods to deepen relationships among groups of people. In the process you’ll engage with your fellow participants and hopefully make a new friend!
Hosted by Beth Ellen Holimon, The Hive Collective
FEMINIST FUTURES, TECH, AND THE HIDDEN COST OF AI ON WOMEN'S LIVES
17:00-17:30 IST | 14:00-14:30 CEST
With a blend of media engagement, embodied discussion, and visioning, this session explores how AI systems—despite their promise—are quietly compounding gender inequities, particularly in the Global Majority.
Through a gendered lens, we’ll unpack the hidden costs women disproportionately bear and offer a provocation: what feminist foresight is needed to build just technological futures?
Hosted by Sanjana Kashyap
BREAK
17:30-18:00 IST | 14:00-14:30 CEST
Rest your eyes, move your body!
SESSION TBA*
19:30-21:00 IST | 16:00-17:30 CEST
More info TBA
COUNTERING BACKLASH*
18:00-19:30 IST | 14:30-16:00 CEST
More info TBA
CLOSING & MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
21:00-21:30 IST | 17:30-18:00 CEST
More info TBA
SPEAKERS
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