About
Women Political Leaders (WPL) is the global network of women politicians. The mission of WPL is to increase both the number and the influence of women in political leadership positions.
Women political leaders
WPL communities are women in political office – Presidents, Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliaments, Mayors.
WPL strives in all its activities to demonstrate the impact of more women in political leadership, for the global better. To accelerate, women need three things: communication, connection, community.
At WPL, optimising the power of communication and connection builds new communities of knowledge for women political leaders everywhere. WPL believes that progress happens by convening women political leaders who have the drive and the influence to create positive change.
WPL is an independent, international, post-partisan and not-for-profit foundation based in Reykjavik, Iceland (the world champion of gender equality). Silvana Koch-Mehrin is the Founder and President of the WPL Foundation.
Global advisory board
Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca
President of Eurochild, President of Malta (2014-2019), Member, WPL Board, Member, Council of Women World Leaders
Rosalía Arteaga
Executive President of the FIDAL Foundation; President of Ecuador (1997), Member, WPL Board
Silvana Koch-Mehrin
President and Founder of Women Political Leaders (WPL); Vice-President of the European Parliament (2009-2011) and Member of the European Parliament (2004-2014)
Obiageli “Oby” Katryn Ezekwesili
Chair of the WPL Board; Economic and Public Policy Expert and Senior Economic Adviser to the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI); World Bank Vice-President, Africa Region (2007-2012)
Pascal Lamy
President Emeritus, Jacques Delors Institute; President of the Paris Peace Forum, Special Advisor, Brunswick Europe, Former Director-General, WTO (2005-2013) European Commissioner for Trade (1999-2004). Chief of Cabinet to the President of the European Commission (1984-1994).
Mo Ibrahim
Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Jane Goodall
Ethologist. Founder, Jane Goodall Institute. UN Messenger of Peace. Founder, Roots & Shoots.
Laura Tyson
Professor of Business Administration and Economics, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkley. Chair of the US President's Council of Economic Advisers (1993-1995). Chair of the Board of Trustees, The Blum Center for Developing Economies.
Kathy Calvin
President and Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Foundation (2013-2019)
Jody Williams
Chair, Nobel Women's Initiative and 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
WPL Board
José Manuel Barroso
Chair, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Chairman, Goldman Sachs International, President, European Commission (2004-2014), Prime Minister, Portugal (2002-2004), Member, WPL Global Advisory Board
Isabel Saint Malo
Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2014-2019), Panama
Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir
Senior Advisor, UN Women. Chair, Reykjavík Global Forum. Minister Of The Interior, Iceland (2013-2014). Mayor, Reykjavik (2008-2010)
Helen Clark
Administrator (2009-17), UNDP. Prime Minister, New Zealand (1999-2008). Chair, WPL Board.
Silvana Koch-Mehrin
President and Founder of Women Political Leaders (WPL); Vice-President of the European Parliament (2009-2011) and Member of the European Parliament (2004-2014)Obiageli “Oby” Katryn Ezekwesili
Chair of the WPL Board; Economic and Public Policy Expert and Senior Economic Adviser to the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI); World Bank Vice-President, Africa Region (2007-2012)Hilda Heine
President of the Marshall Islands (2016-2020)
Lindiwe Mazibuko
Co-founder & CEO, Futurelect
Susana Malcorra
President, GWL Voices; Minister of Foreign Affairs & Worship of Argentina (2015-2017); Chef de Cabinet to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2012-2015)
Oley Dibba-Wadda
Executive Director, The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development; President and CEO, Gam Africa Institute for Leadership
Tzipi Livni
Vice Prime Minister of Israel & Foreign Minister of Israel (2006-2009), Minister of Justice of Israel (2013-2014)
Safak Pavey
Senior Advisor, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees; Deputy Speaker and Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (2011-2017)