Lead Organisation: The Global Forum on the Leadership of Women with Disabilities (GFLWD) 

Main contact: Abia Akram (abia.akram@gmail.com)

Partners: Sightsavers

Title of the Stakeholder Dialogue:  “Global Voices, Local Impact: Future of Women Leaders with Disabilities in advancing Disability Rights”

Short Description of the event:  Women with disabilities face systemic barriers to leadership, representation, and decision-making at all levels. Enhancing women’s representation in leadership and decision-making roles is essential, including ensuring organizations of women with disabilities have a stronger role in the disability movement. It is critical that we secure the financial resources required and allocate more of the available resources for women with disabilities inclusion globally. To ensure progress we need innovative system change, creative thinking, and new ideas to ensure that disability inclusion is implemented using a twin-track approach of mainstreaming and targeted interventions

The Global Disability Summit (GDS) presents a critical opportunity to advocate for the rights of women with disabilities by amplifying their voice and leadership and securing global and national policy change. This informal stakeholder meeting will bring together women with disabilities activists to discuss strategies for advancing leadership, policy influence, and inclusion of and for women with disabilities. This dialogue space will also be used to align with the key issues discussed at the Global Disability Summit, ensuring that gender and disability inclusion remain central to global commitment and action.

This informal meeting will serve as a vital platform to tackle the urgent issue of gender inequality from both local and global viewpoints. In a time when the responses of women with disabilities to crises are more crucial than ever, the dialogue seeks to elevate the voices of women and gender advocates in crafting solutions for a more equitable future. 

The Key Objectives: 

• Align priorities: with the Global Disability Summit agenda to ensure women with disabilities are central in leadership discussions. 
• Discuss key issues and policy gaps: ensure that GFLWD members can reflect on shared concerns and articulate consequent impacts on their constituencies. 
• Plan strategic engagement in the GDS and beyond: facilitate the active participation of women with disabilities in discussions and share their perspectives in a safe space. This will allow them to prepare for proactive engagement in the GDS and beyond
• Develop a robust Call to Action: Advocate for innovative solutions and recommendations underpinned by the lived realities of GFLWD members’ grassroots constituencies. 

The stakeholder dialogue will focus on the following themes that are intrinsic to the GDS core principles.

• Intersectionality matters: women with disabilities face compounded discrimination and must be prioritized in policy frameworks.
• Inclusive economic empowerment: women with disabilities have the right to equal access to education, employment, entrepreneurship and social protection.
• End gender-based violence: strengthen protection mechanisms and inclusive service delivery for survivors with disabilities.
• Ensure leadership and representation: women with disabilities must be included in decision-making processes at all levels.
• Disaster risk reduction & climate resilience: policies must ensure accessible emergency preparedness and response.

As we move towards the end date of the Sustainable Development Goals, the active participation, leadership, and empowerment of women with disabilities remains essential. We call upon all nations, international organisations, civil society, the private sector, and individuals to join with the Global Forum on the Leadership of Women with Disabilities in pursuing gender and disability-inclusive development. By working together, we can ensure that no one is left behind in our collective quest for a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.

Agenda & Structure

1. Opening & Welcome (15 min)

• Welcome Remarks 
• Brief introduction of participants
• Overview of meeting objectives & expected outcomes

2. Setting the Scene: Women with disabilities in global leadership (20 min)

• Align priorities with the Global Disability Summit agenda to ensure women with disabilities are central in leadership discussions.

3. Strengthening Leadership & Representation (15 min)

• Interactive discussion: What strategies are working? What are the gaps?

4. Partnership & Collaboration for Change (20 min)

• Breakout group discussions on key themes

5. From Dialogue to Action: Recommendations & Next Steps (30 min)

• Develop a set of key recommendations to be integrated into the Global Disability Summit outcomes.
• Plan for strategic and proactive engagement in the GDS summit proceedings.

Expected Outcomes

• Clear recommendations for increasing the representation of women with disabilities in leadership and decision-making spaces.
• Integration of gender and disability perspectives into Global Disability Summit commitments and follow-up actions.
• A robust ‘Call to Action’ underpins the strategic engagement of GFLWD in the GDS proceedings and beyond.

This stakeholder dialogue is a crucial step toward ensuring that the voices of women with disabilities are heard and that their leadership is recognised in shaping inclusive policies and programs. Through shared experiences, collaborative problem-solving, and stakeholder engagement, this session aims to foster tangible commitments and drive global action toward gender-inclusive disability rights.

Accessibility Considerations

• Sign language interpretation 

• Accessible documents and materials.

• Use of digital and physical tools for interactive participation

• Ensuring diverse representation of disability groups

Brief about the GFLWWD concerted international effort to facilitate actionable solutions that underpin the attainment of equal rights for women and girls with disabilities. The GFLWD aims to stimulate interregional collaboration and provide an impetus for the socio-political and economic empowerment of women with disabilities as agents and beneficiaries of development.

UN Women, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), UN Women, the Special Talent Exchange Programme (STEP), and the University of Tokyo Komaba Organization for Educational Excellence (KOMEX) bolstered the GFLWD’s conception in line with key milestones including the 13^th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the UN’s 75^th anniversary, and the 25^th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action. 

The governance and operational activities of the Global Forum are overseen by a Steering Committee of women leaders with disabilities, ensuring diversity and representation, inclusive of invisible disabilities.