About the Council and Its Mission


The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers. The Council's mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development. By increasing the number, effectiveness, and visibility of women who lead at the highest levels in their countries, the Council aims to promote good governance and enhance the experience of democracy globally.

Established in 1997 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland (1980-1996), and Laura Liswood, Secretary General, the Council is currently chaired by the Honorable Mary Robinson, President of Ireland (1990-97) and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002). The Council is a policy program of the Aspen Institute. 

The Council of Women World leaders presently has 36 members - nearly all of the current and former women heads of state and heads of government. An integral and essential part of the Council structure is the Ministerial Initiative, which engages sitting and former women ministers and cabinet members. The Ministerial Initiative began in 1998 to promote ministerial-level exchange on global issues, to identify and address the particular challenges facing women in ministerial leadership positions, and to increase their visibility both nationally and internationally. Five formal networks have been set up among these leaders, organized around the sectors of Environment; Finance, Economics, and Development; Women’s Affairs; Health; and Culture. The Honorable Margot Wallström, the First Vice-President of the European Commission, serves as the Chair of the Ministerial Initiative.

A key dimension of the Council’s mission has been to build the capacity of emerging leaders. To this end, the Council has developed a program which places promising young women in the offices of Council members and other women leaders for summer fellowships. Supported by the Council’s early association with Harvard, and later, Columbia University, 62 women and one man have served as fellows in 24 offices worldwide.

In 2002, an executive education program was developed to provide emerging women leaders in the South Pacific island states with skills in managing political and economic reform.