The Asia-Pacific Women CEOs in Cooperatives Summit is scheduled to take place from July 29-31, 2024, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Organized by the International Cooperative Alliance Asia-Pacific (ICA-AP), ICA-AP Committee on Women, and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA), the summit will operate under the theme “Empowering Leadership: Navigating the Future of Cooperatives with Women at the Helm.”
The summit is a pioneering event, offering a unique international platform for women CEOs and executive leaders in the cooperative sector to share, learn, and network across countries and industries in the rapidly changing post-COVID-19 world. The event aims to address the distinct challenges and opportunities faced by women leaders in cooperatives.
Women in leadership roles within cooperatives play multifaceted roles, managing business operations, making crucial decisions, and representing their organizations to both internal and external stakeholders. However, they often encounter amplified challenges due to cultural and societal expectations. The summit aims to support these leaders by providing a platform tailored to their specific needs, fostering critical dialogue, and offering diverse inputs and knowledge.
The summit follows up on the 2018 regional workshop themed “Re-imagine and Re-shape: Advancing Women CEOs in Co-operatives,” which was a collaborative effort by ICA-AP, ICA-AP Committee on Women, and the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC). This year’s summit aims to build on the previous workshop’s achievements and focuses on empowering women with a more nuanced approach.
The core objectives of the summit include enhancing the knowledge of women CEOs and executive leaders in cooperatives, providing a space for dialogue on common issues and challenges, facilitating connections and networks across countries and sectors/industries, and building the capacity of women leaders for a brighter and sustainable future.
The summit will feature several thematic sessions, including mentorship and leadership development, personal development and work-life balance, building resilience and adaptability in a changing world, fostering inclusivity and social responsibility, and purpose-driven leadership training. These sessions will focus on skills in mentoring, developing future leaders, self-care, stress management, achieving a healthy work-life balance, addressing global challenges like economic volatility and climate change, promoting inclusivity, social justice, community welfare, and enhancing communication skills tailored for women in leadership roles within cooperatives.
The summit aims to gather 40 women CEOs and executive leaders from the cooperative sector in the Asia-Pacific region. Participants will represent a diverse array of countries and cooperative organizations, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and experiences.
The Asia-Pacific Women CEOs in Cooperatives Summit promises to be an empowering event, setting the stage for women leaders to navigate the future of cooperatives with confidence and resilience.