I’ve spent the last 49 years working in international cooperation. I worked 10 years in the PeaceCorps: 8 of them in Brazil and 2 of them back in Washington DC. I started out as an urban development PeaceCorps volunteer and then worked 7 years with their staff running different parts of the Brazil Program. Eventually I came back to Washington after serving as the Country Director for Brazil and did a couple years at the PeaceCorps Headquarters. Initially I had wanted to be a Foreign Service officer, but decided I was more interested in development rather than diplomacy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among the many notable speakers at the 2019 Global Solutions Summit in Berlin. Following her thought-provoking speech emphasizing the need for multilateralism and international cooperation in the years to come, was a Q&A period with questions from both a moderator and individuals from the audience.

Before I pursued a diploma in flight operations and management, I didn’t even know we had pilot training in Uganda. Choosing a career as a pilot is not very common, so despite having dreamed of flying in planes as a child, I didn’t think it was one that would come true. However, while I was still in school I attended an orientation where I was able to go and see people actually flying. This one plane came and landed, and out walked a woman! Seeing her felt so empowering that it reignited my love for flying, and afterwards I knew I had to do everything I could to be a pilot.

This week WEI editorial team interviewed Hyasintha Ntuyeko - founder of Kasole Secrets – and got to hear her speak about her work in breaking the silence around women’s menstrual health in Tanzania.

I am a business strategist who has worked in management consulting in the SEE region for over a dozen years. I am currently a strategy consultant with the World Bank in the Energy and Extractives Global Practice, and also serving as an adviser to the European Commission on digitization and adaptation of future strategies in targeted sectors of the economy. I mentor companies in the technology park and CleanTech accelerator in Croatia, developing strong business models, securing funding, and generally providing access to the kind of expert advice they can’t really afford in the early stages.

Over an illustrious 30-year career, consultant, author and acclaimed speaker Dinah Bennett has worked with people and organisations all over the world to gain insights into enterprise and entrepreneurship.

So, here’s our challenge to you – what can you do to ensure that the awareness raised as well as the interest and motivation generated on International Women’s Day turn into daily actions throughout the year?

As the world celebrates this year’s International Women’s Day -- whose theme is “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change” -- all stakeholders must resolve to work to find innovative ways to engage more men and young boys in the push to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.