Power of Women Conference 2025: A 22-hour global broadcast redefining power

Power of Women Conference 2025: A 22-hour global broadcast redefining power

Amid a landscape saturated with summits and international statements, the Digital Power of Women (DPOW) 2025 stood apart for its scope, ambition and global footprint. The 22-hour broadcast—preceded by months of lead-up events—attracted more than 70,000 viewers before its television debut in South Africa and Kenya, with further segments later published on YouTube. It also produced three policy recommendations that were officially incorporated into the Civil20 document submitted to the South African Presidency.Yet statistics capture only part of the impact. The gathering brought together a remarkably varied global community: Nobel Laureates, Indigenous and Earth Elders, youth and faith leaders, grassroots organisers, innovators and policymakers joining from Johannesburg, Nairobi, Mumbai, São Paulo, Los Angeles and elsewhere. Their shared belief: authentic leadership originates in connection, not hierarchy.

A global platform grounded in local realities

Carrying the theme Power Rooted in Connection, the broadcast aligned with the momentum of South Africa’s G20 hosting year and a shifting geopolitical environment ahead of G20 USA 2026. Viewers tuned in from India, the United States, South Africa, Argentina and Kenya, with notable engagement across Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Young audiences—particularly those aged 18–24 and 25–34—formed the core of its viewership.Where global policy discussions often feel remote, DPOW 2025 attempted the inverse: it brought the world closer.

An early standout moment came from the Leading Like Mandela Institute, which contributed a video from the Mandela AI Hub featuring an AI-generated Nelson Mandela calling for civic participation. Founder Shenali Rajaratnam of Power of Women followed with opening remarks framing the programme as a collective undertaking and worldwide call to action anchored in value-driven, people-centred and balanced leadership.

A candid reminder from global voices

Former UN Women chief H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka opened the broadcast with a caution: gains in gender equality remain fragile, and democracy depends on principled, resilient leadership. Earth Elder Rutendo Lerato Ngara widened the perspective, stressing that wisdom emerges not only from institutions but also from land, community and shared cultural memory—an invitation to reconceive power beyond Western governance paradigms.

Values, ethics and the politics of possibility

A dialogue featuring Professor Ndileka Mandela, Marianne Williamson, Sister Dr Jenna and Shenali Rajaratnam wove together political advocacy, spiritual practice, ethical inquiry and intergenerational wisdom. Under the theme Frequency of the Future, they explored the nature of leadership in a period marked by widespread mistrust.Professor Mandela emphasised that moral authority is simultaneously cultivated and inherited. She urged shifting the Gender-Based Violence narrative toward one of safety and highlighted early behavioural guidance in childhood as essential to preventing violence at its roots.

Science, climate and women at the forefront

A keynote from H.E. Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius, delivered a decisive message: biodiversity loss has escalated into a geopolitical emergency, with women in the Global South at the centre of its consequences. Her address reinforced the broadcast’s throughline—that climate, gender and governance are intertwined challenges.

Africa’s youth claim agency

Moderated by Bophelo Tsholo, the Youth Leadership in Africa panel energised the programme. Youth20 South Africa chair Raymond Matlala, Dineo Lioma and other young leaders positioned themselves not as leaders-in-waiting but as drivers of Africa’s current trajectory, shaping policy, circular economic models and digital innovation. Their assertion was clear: Africa is not waiting for external validation.

Women’s leadership moves from advocacy to governance

A notable panel featuring Kenyan leader Rosemary Odinga, Namibia’s Deputy Minister (RET.) HE Julieta Kaventuna and India’s Professor Vinod Menon—moderated by Tobias Nauruki—examined how representation progresses into governing authority. They shared approaches for ensuring women’s success in high-level political roles and demonstrated how balanced leadership structures have emerged in Namibia, Kenya and India.Namibian leader Dr Nangula Lambako expanded this vision, linking purpose-grounded leadership with empathy and equilibrium. She highlighted Namibia’s milestone of having a female president, vice president, speaker and 44% women in parliament. Her mentoring work through the Nangulako Foundation illustrated how political representation becomes sustained community impact.Ambassador Nathalie Rayes (Ret.) added that women already possess the capacity to lead and do not require permission. She emphasised that connection must be anchored in compassion to enable societal transformation and that women’s leadership is indispensable, not symbolic.

Spirituality, soft power and cultural influence

Sister Dr Jenna offered a reflective interlude, arguing that leadership lacking inner stability fosters volatility. Lydia Buthello of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre highlighted culture as a form of soft power, describing women as key drivers of economic advancement and national identity.Sister Dr Jenna also spotlighted Maya Penn as a next-generation leader and emphasised introspection, meditation and authentic expression as essential leadership practices.Reverend Sylvia Sumpter added that women possess a relational “superpower,” serving as the “spiritual womb of society.”

COP30, Brazil and a shifting climate geography

Ambassador Vanessa Dolce de Faria outlined Brazil’s gender-centred climate strategy ahead of COP30, presenting gender equality as foundational to climate justice and referencing Brazil’s intersectional SDG 18 on racial equality.Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite, emphasised the importance of long-term partnerships and noted that seven of nine planetary boundaries have already been exceeded. She invoked the Muchiro principle—mobilising through shared purpose.Rebecca Irby of the PEAC Institute argued that justice progresses only as quickly as trust allows and highlighted storytelling, art and intergenerational leadership as tools for elevating frontline communities.

From domination to partnership

Dr Riane Eisler, W20 Co-Chair Virginia Littlejohn and Global Women’s Village founder Sande Hart presented a framework for transitioning from domination-based systems to partnership models built on care, equity and collaboration. Their insights offered practical tools for cultivating resilient, purpose-led alliances.

Men step forward—to listen, not lead

A compelling segment titled Compassionate Men Who Support the Power of Women brought together Pato Banton, Clay Boykin, Dr Gard Jameson and Imam Jamal Rahman. They advocated for compassion, accountability and healing among men, stressing the need for vulnerability, attentive listening and dismantling damaging norms as essential components of gender equality.

Uganda’s girls provide tangible proof of change

One of the most moving moments featured Uganda’s Power of Girls Clubs. Students and emerging professionals described how community-based programmes are reshaping their educational and economic prospects. Their experiences demonstrated that global initiatives matter only when they improve real lives.

When learning leads to application

Masterclasses throughout the broadcast supplied actionable skills. Drs Michele Le Baron and Karenjot Bhangoo Randhawa led a session on creativity, embodiment and relational intelligence for conflict transformation and leadership. Dr Sandra de Castro Buffington expanded on narrative-based strategies for systems change.Filmmakers Margaret To and Jahnavi Mange guided participants through Soil to Soul, a workshop exploring reciprocity, nourishment and the relationship between inner wellbeing and planetary health.

Creativity meets conscience in AI filmmaking

AI filmmaker Lisa Russell showcased how emerging technologies can elevate marginalised perspectives while protecting artistic integrity and cultural agency. An ethics-focused technology discussion with engineer TJ Marbois, Sister Dr Jenna and Shenali Rajaratnam emphasised personal data ownership—summarised in the phrase “R2-D2 belongs to you”—and contributed to the Civil20 policy recommendation for a Global AI Yearly Assessment (AIYA) Mechanism.

Tradition intersects with governance

Former South African minister Jay Naidoo reminded participants that political advancement is uneven and requires steady guardianship. Jonathan Granoff of the Global Security Institute re-centred moral principles, calling for a modern interpretation of the Golden Rule: safeguarding future generations as we would safeguard our own. Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. elaborated on Indigenous models grounded in unity, equality and long-term vision.

A rising global society

Another key segment illuminated a growing viewpoint within the programme: the emergence of a shared global society. Leaders from African civil society observed that beyond institutional politics, people and communities worldwide are increasingly taking responsibility through daily choices—building businesses that prioritise wellbeing, favouring cooperation over competition and acting with dignity, care and collective purpose. This shift, they noted, is driven not by a single movement but by countless small actions accumulating into meaningful local and global change.

A network held together by community, not ceremony

DPOW 2025 operated through a wide ecosystem of broadcast partners, royal houses, community groups, Rotary Clubs, youth networks and cultural contributors. Watch parties and online gathering spaces grounded global conversations in local realities.

Equipping the next generation with 1,000 Google scholarships

One of the programme’s major outcomes was securing 1,000 Google AI training scholarships for girls and young women via Coursera—a sign that DPOW is not simply a conference but a launchpad for real-world activation.

Making transformation visible through policy

Three policy recommendations advanced by founder Shenali Rajaratnam and integrated into the Civil20 document represented a landmark achievement:

1. Advancing technology governance based on community data stewardship, inclusive AI standards and protections against algorithmic bias.

2. Establishing a permanent G20 Gender Equality Taskforce with funded participation from women-led organisations.

3. Creating a Global AI Yearly Assessment (AIYA) Mechanism to evaluate the ethical, environmental and social impacts of AI across G20 countries.

All three proposals have been formally recorded for G20 review—an unprecedented milestone for the Power of Women.

Governance, equity and the pathway to the US G20 presidency

US Congressman Suhas Subramanyam discussed preparations for the United States’ 2026 G20 presidency. He highlighted developments such as Virginia’s majority-woman General Assembly while acknowledging ongoing gaps in childcare access, pay equity and workplace inclusion. He advocated for Paid Family Leave, expanded childcare provisions and Paycheck Fairness legislation, warning that unaddressed gender bias in AI poses urgent risks.

Looking ahead to G20 USA in 2026

As the broadcast reached its closing segment—with a final keynote and the forthcoming Collective Statement to the G20—the message crystallised: DPOW 2025 was not merely informative programming. It served as a rehearsal for a new style of global leadership—collaborative, intergenerational and rooted in communities and networks rather than exclusively in institutions.In a world strained by political division and ecological instability, DPOW 2025 did not claim to provide definitive answers. It offered a direction—a reminder that when power is grounded in connection, it transforms from dominance into a catalyst for a shared global future.

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