At a time when global economies are navigating profound shifts in capital flows, trade systems, institutional governance, and economic resilience, the Global Power Women Forum (GPWF) Cambridge 2026 will convene an exceptional gathering of world leaders, policymakers, investors, academics, and enterprise leaders to examine the growing role of women in shaping the future of economic governance.
Held in strategic collaboration with Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, GPWF Cambridge 2026 is built around the theme, “Women-Powered Economies: Capital, Trade and the Future of Economic Governance.”
More than a women’s conference, the Forum is designed as a global power platform where influence converts to investment, leadership shapes economies, and strategic partnerships create pathways for sustainable development and shared prosperity.
As nations face increasing pressure to stabilise capital flows, reform trade systems, strengthen institutional governance, and deliver measurable socio-economic outcomes, women leaders are playing increasingly influential roles in shaping fiscal policy, industrial strategy, investment promotion, enterprise development, and economic reform. Yet structured platforms that connect leadership authority, research excellence, investment ecosystems, and market opportunities remain limited.
GPWF Cambridge 2026 seeks to bridge this gap by bringing together influential women leaders and decision-makers from government, business, academia, development institutions, and investment ecosystems to explore how women are helping design the systems that drive growth, competitiveness, resilience, and prosperity.
Confirmed participants include:
- Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
- H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone
- H.E. Diana Nausėdienė, First Lady of Lithuania
- Dr. Emma Kantema, Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Namibia
- Baroness Sandip Verma, UK House of Lords
- Amy Barklam, HM Trade Commissioner Designate for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Solange Amichia, Managing Director & CEO, CEPICI Côte d’Ivoire
- H.E. Ambassador Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, First Lady of Kwara State, Nigeria
- Dr. Jane Kimemia, CEO, Optiva Capital Partners
- Prof. Tolullah Oni, University of Cambridge and Founder/CEO, UrbanBetter
- Rachel Blackburn MBE, Founder & CEO, US2U Consulting Ltd
- Joan Asante, Group Director, The Asante Group International Trade Consulting Firm
- Renuka Thakore, Founder & CEO, Global Sustainable Futures Network CIC
Alongside senior representatives from investment promotion agencies, academia, development institutions, and enterprise ecosystems.
A key feature of the Forum is the First Ladies Who Lead Symposium, a high-level academic-policy engagement designed to position First Ladies as institutional catalysts who bridge research, policy influence, and national development priorities.
The symposium will connect flagship national initiatives with multidisciplinary expertise from the University of Cambridge ecosystem, fostering research-informed approaches to health, education, entrepreneurship, climate resilience, digital inclusion, and community transformation.
Beyond dialogue, GPWF Cambridge 2026 is structured around practical economic outcomes. Discussions will focus on women as architects of economic systems, capital allocation and investment strategies, trade pathways and market access, enterprise competitiveness, national investment readiness, diaspora capital, public-private partnerships, and economic resilience in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
Featured countries and institutions will showcase strategic investment opportunities through the Forum’s National Showcase and Global Investment Roadmap & Power Intelligence Brief. Ecosystems represented include Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Serbia, and Belize, providing participants with access to emerging trade, investment, enterprise, and institutional partnership opportunities.
The Forum will culminate in a high-level private session on Market Access, Trade and Capital Pathways, alongside the Global Power Impact & Legacy Honours, recognising transformational leaders and institutions strengthening systems, driving innovation, and creating lasting societal impact.
Dr. Ibifuro Ken-Giami, host of GPWF Cambridge 2026 and Executive Director Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD), asserts that “this prestigious event reflects a growing recognition that women’s leadership must be viewed not only through the lens of representation but also through its contribution to economic architecture, institutional design, governance innovation, and sustainable development.”
As global leadership enters a period of structural recalibration, GPWF Cambridge 2026 seeks to advance a new conversation, one that positions women not merely as participants in economic systems but as leaders shaping, financing, governing, and transforming them.
Save the Date
📍 Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
📅 8–9 June 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
As programme consolidation and participant alignment continue, leaders, policymakers, investors, enterprise executives, academics, development partners, and stakeholders are encouraged to register early and be part of the conversation shaping the future of capital, trade, and economic governance.
Participation provides strategic access to emerging investment, enterprise, and institutional partnership opportunities across participating country ecosystems represented at the Forum and featured in the Global Investment Roadmap & Power Intelligence Brief.
About the Global Power Women Forum (GPWF)
The Global Power Women Forum (GPWF) is a premier international platform that brings together influential women leaders, policymakers, investors, business executives, academics, and development partners to advance leadership, economic participation, and global collaboration. Through high-level dialogue, strategic partnerships, and knowledge exchange, GPWF promotes solutions that contribute to economic growth, institutional excellence, and sustainable development.
About Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
Wolfson College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge, recognised for its international outlook, intellectual diversity, and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. With a vibrant global community of students, researchers, and scholars, the College advances academic excellence, innovation, and partnerships that contribute to sustainable development, social progress, and international cooperation.
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