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 Brussels, Belgium. Silvana Koch-Mehrin is the Founder and President of the WPL Foundation.
Global advisory board
Silvana Koch-Mehrin
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).
Kathy Calvin
President and Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Foundation (2013-2019)
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.
Mo Ibrahim
Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
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).
†Jane Goodall
Ethologist. Founder, Jane Goodall Institute. UN Messenger of Peace. Founder, Roots & Shoots.
Jody Williams
Chair, Nobel Women's Initiative and 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Rosalía Arteaga
Executive President of the FIDAL Foundation; President of Ecuador (1997), Member, WPL Board
Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca
President of Eurochild, President of Malta (2014-2019), Member, WPL Board, Member, Council of Women World Leaders
WPL Board
Rania Al-Mashat
Rania Al-Mashat is an Egyptian international economist with more than 25 years of experience in macroeconomic policy, economic development, international cooperation, climate finance, sustainability, and monetary policy. She currently serves as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), following her appointment by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in…
Silvana Koch-Mehrin
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).Carolina Müller-Möhl
Carolina Müller-Möhl is the Founder and President of the Müller-Möhl Group and the Müller-Möhl Foundation. An investor, philanthropist, and public affairs leader, she is committed to advancing education, strengthening the compatibility of work and family life, supporting Switzerland as a business hub, and promoting philanthropy. She studied political science, history, and law at the University…
Helga Maria Schmid
Helga Maria Schmid is a German diplomat who currently serves as Vice-President of the Munich Security Conference Foundation and President of the European Institute of Peace. She served as Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from 2020 to 2024. Helga Maria Schmid studied literature, history, and politics in Munich…
Jane Geraghty
Jane Geraghty became Global CEO of WPP Brand & Design and CEO of Landor at the beginning of 2026. Based in New York, she directly oversees the eight companies that comprise WPP Brand & Design: Landor, Design Bridge and Partners, cba, Coley Porter Bell, amp, bdg, ManvsMachine, and DeepLocal. Her focus is on bringing the…
Julie Linn Teigland
Julie is EY Global Vice Chair Alliances & Ecosystems and a member of the EY Global Executive. Julie leads the growth of the global EY organization's strategic alliances business globally, a fundamental part of the EY client proposition, enabling EY to deliver superior business value for clients through award-winning collaboration, co-creation and innovation. With three…
Lutfey Siddiqi
Lutfey Siddiqi is an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a Visiting Professor-in-Practice at the London School of Economics (LSE IDEAS), where he is also an Emeritus Governor. Between September 2024 and February 2026, Lutfey Siddiqi served as Special Envoy to the head of the interim government of Bangladesh, with the…
Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca
Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca served as the ninth President of the Republic of Malta from 2014 to 2019. Her nomination was approved unanimously by the Maltese Parliament, marking a significant moment in Malta’s constitutional history. At the age of 55, she became the youngest President of the country and only the second woman to serve as…
Nathalie Delapalme
Nathalie Delapalme is the Chief Executive Officer of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which she joined in 2010. She brings more than 35 years of experience in public policy, international affairs, development, and governance, with a particular focus on Africa. Before joining the Foundation, Nathalie served as Inspector General of Finance at the French Ministry of…
Oley Dibba-Wadda
Oley Dibba-Wadda is a social development executive and strategic analyst with over 25 years of leadership and management experience. She is an expert in African and international policies on education, gender equality, and youth development. She is currently the Executive Secretary of the Africa First Ladies Peace Mission and the Founder, President, and CEO of…
Şafak Pavey
Şafak Pavey´s background embraces diplomacy and politics through her work in the field of humanitarian affairs, peace and security at the United Nations and as a parliamentarian. She currently serves as the Senior Adviser for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, leading strategic partnerships, multistakeholder engagement and dialogues. During her mandates as a…
Salma AlRashid
Salma AlRashid is Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Rashid S. Alrashid and Sons Holding, where she also serves on the board. Her work spans investment, policy, and social development, with a focus on advancing inclusive and sustainable economic systems. She began her career working directly with communities, designing development programmes grounded in lived realities.…
Stella Villares
Stella Villares is a Partner at Barn Investments, a São Paulo–based venture capital and asset management firm focused on greentech and early-stage investments across sectors including agriculture, renewable energy, clean industry, and mobility. With over four decades of experience, she has built a multidisciplinary career spanning communication, technology, art, finance, and agriculture. Stella began her…
Xavier Prats Monné
Xavier is the President of the Board of Governors of Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona and of the Advisory Board of UOC, the Open University of Catalonia. He chairs the Europe Board of Teach For All, the global non-profit organisation working to expand educational opportunity worldwide. He is a member of the advisory committee of…