Sixty senior women leaders from around 40 countries gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, from 2 to 5 December for the 2025 session of the Women’s Leadership Academy, a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD) of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). The event featured virtual opening remarks from Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Africa Martha Ama A. Pobee from DPPA as well as ASG Marcos Neto from UNDP, as well as Moroccan officials, underscoring the importance of inclusive leadership in an increasingly digital and volatile global environment.
Launched in Madrid in 2023, with a second edition in Doha in 2024, the Academy aims to support women’s leadership and participation in public life by strengthening their digital skills, fostering peer networks and discussing common challenges such as disinformation, online harassment and political polarization.
The programme in Marrakech brought together women leaders from government institutions, electoral management bodies and civil society organizations to exchange experiences and develop practical tools for leadership in complex and crisis-affected settings. Discussions covered grounding leadership in lived experience, navigating public visibility and digital vulnerability, and sustaining civic participation.
Testimonials from participants highlighted the value of coming together with peers. For Halyna, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health and Country Director of HealthRight International Ukraine, the discussions were timely and necessary, particularly at a moment when women leaders like her “…are carrying an extraordinary weight. Leading during war means managing constant crises, supporting survivors of violence, protecting teams, and navigating intense digital threats.”
A strong emphasis was placed on communication in the digital era, including the power of personal narrative alongside the risks posed by disinformation. Nahid, General Advisor within the Administration of the House of Councillors, Morocco, and a returning participant, reflected on how the Academy had shaped her leadership approach. “The Global Academy helped me approach my leadership journey with a gender perspective and reflect on my own personal values and on how gender and power dynamics have shaped my path,” she said. “It also taught me how to enhance my strategic communication capacity in digital spaces.”
Davidetta, Chairperson of the National Elections Commission of Liberia, stressed the importance of storytelling, noting that: “Storytelling is a powerful tool that helps women address and resist gender-based violence, and the Academy strengthens this by giving us the skills, confidence, and a supportive environment to tell our stories safely and effectively.”
The final day focused on systems thinking and strategic foresight. Together, the women mapped how political systems, digital ecosystems, and cultural norms intersect with their leadership roles. They also exchanged strategies for national-level rollouts of the Academy, mentoring programmes, digital literacy modules, public service training, and cross-border collaborations.
For Nahid, whose home country hosted this edition, the moment held particular meaning.
She said: “I am very proud that the Global Academy is taking place in my home country with significant participation by Moroccan women leaders from diverse backgrounds. It is a valuable opportunity to express my personal commitment to taking the Academy forward by supporting a national version of the Academy.”
While this session of the Academy has concluded, the participants took away something enduring: increased confidence, a shared sense of purpose, and a trusted network of women connected beyond formal introductions.
