All around the world, Woman Eisenhower Fellows have reached the highest leadership roles in their societies. They include a Supreme Court Justice in Kenya, a Major-General in China’s People’s Liberation Army, the first Ghanaian woman to lead an oil-and-gas company, the youngest woman to be elected to the Senate in Colombia, a current Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, a Permanent Observer to the African Union at the United Nations, the Minister of Trade in Indonesia and the Mayor of Philadelphia.

Eisenhower Fellowships’ women’s leadership network is a highly accomplished group of nearly 700 Fellows, supporters and friends of the organization from myriad professional fields who have demonstrated the talent, commitment and skills to inspire and mentor the next generation of girls and young women.

Since 2010, Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) has hosted four women’s leadership fellowship programs, the most recent one in fall 2024. In support of these programs, EF has convened its women leaders for global conferences in Philadelphia, London and Miami. Women’s leadership is a priority theme woven into the fabric of all EF programs, operations and governance. 

In 2024 the EF women’s leadership network was invited to participate in the Igniting Future Women Leaders Initiative. The goal is to leverage the power and promise of our network to connect, inspire and empower young women and girls around the world by building their confidence, fostering a sense of community and developing their leadership skills.

This initiative provides young women and girls with greater global exposure, expanded networks and lifelong leadership lessons. A private LinkedIn platform allows participants to share accomplishments and seek professional partners and advice. Fellows around the world are encouraged to organize their own gatherings in their countries or regions to bolster this effort.

The Initiative aligns with President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vision that creating opportunities for people-to-people dialogue across borders and cultures brings about greater understanding and builds bridges of trust. It fulfills an Eisenhower Fellow’s obligation to mentor the young leaders who follow in their footsteps and further expands their impact on their societies.

EF has launched two separate but related projects under the Igniting Future Women Leaders umbrella: The EF Women’s Webinar Series and Face to Face: EF Women and Girls Convening in Conversation.

The EF Women’s Webinar Series aims to reach hundreds of young women and girls in 2024-5, leveraging EF’s global network of Fellows to help provide broader, more equitable access to leadership development opportunities.

The webinar series consists of large-scale Zoom gatherings featuring women Fellows who are subject matter experts. Fellows will be encouraged to identify and convene local groups of young women in virtual watch parties to build global awareness, foster a sense of community and learn leadership skills. The series is accompanied by a Playbook and a Fellows’ Feedback Form.

The Face to Face: EF Women Convening in Conversation project aims to empower and connect innovative leaders across sectors and generations in open, constructive, facilitated dialogues on topics relevant to female empowerment, skill development, education, career planning and personal growth. In the process, this will build lifelong engagement with a global network of dynamic change agents.