By Blossom Ukoha “I swear that I will carry out the duties and obligations of the BI Governor to the best of my ability and full of responsibility.” With those words, Destry Damayanti accepted the responsibility of leading Indonesia’s central bank—and, in doing so, made history as the first woman to serve as Governor of Bank Indonesia. Sworn into office in Jakarta on 2 September 2026 for the 2026–2031 term, she became the 17th Governor of the institution, bringing with her more than three decades of experience across economics, banking, capital markets, public policy, financial regulation and central banking. A Historic Oath, A New Era Destry’s appointment is significant not simply because she is the first woman to occupy the position, but because of the institution she now leads. Bank Indonesia sits at the centre of Indonesia’s economic architecture, with responsibility for monetary policy, financial stability and the resilience of the…
By Janet Coin On a weekday morning in Seoul, a young professional finishes a Pilates session before heading to work. Later that evening, she…
Laura Jones Step into a traditional riad in Marrakech and the first thing you notice is not how much furniture fills the space, but…
By Blossom Ukoha What if the most important stories about Kenyan women are not the ones making tomorrow morning’s headlines? Open a Kenyan newspaper…
By Blossom Ukoha On 23 January 2025, Arunma Oteh stood at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, to launch All Hands on Deck, the…
“Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it’s the lifeblood of business.” — Sir Richard Branson What happens when a woman builds…
By Janet Coin “What is expected of leaders is judgment, not sheer stamina.” — Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global For years,…
By Blossom Ukoha What happens when a girl born into poverty refuses to let her circumstances define the size of her dreams? For Dolly…
By Blossom Ukoha For a woman running a small business in Europe, a change in trade policy can begin with something deceptively simple: an…
By Blossom Ukoha There is a particular moment in a career when experience stops being measured by the number of positions held and begins…
By Blossom Ukoha What does it take for a woman to earn a place on a presidential ticket once and then be trusted with…
By Blossom Ukoha “Leadership does not always begin in a boardroom, parliament or presidential office. Sometimes, it begins in a classroom.” For Lucia Witbooi,…