Global Women Leaders Urge Men to Stand up to Bridge Gender Divide

• The laureates came together at the first edition of Youth Summit’23 on Human Fraternity and Compassion in India

Addressing the intense need to develop a compassionate yet equal world and bridge the gender divide, a cohort of global women leaders called upon men to be part of this conversation. At the second day of the Youth Summit’23 on Human Fraternity and Compassion, in Viratnagar, Rajasthan, the women leaders including a former Vice President called upon the dire need to create a framework to address this social and economic divide.

Exploring the vital role of women as pillars of human fraternity and compassion in a session at The Youth Summit’23

The leaders included Ms Asmita Satyarthi, Managing Trustee of Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion; Dr Epsy Campbell Barr, former Vice President of Costa Rica; Dr Nahla Al-Saeedi, who is the first-ever woman appointed as advisor to His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof Al Tayeb; and Ms Prajakta Koli, Youth Climate Champion, UNDP India.

During the discussion, the central theme of compassion was espoused but under the role of women in leadership. Ms Asmita Satyarthi said, “Behind every successful man stands a woman but my mother is the one who stood next to my father and that makes me proud of her. We need men to stand up with us.”

Taking the conversation of women’s role in leadership a step further, Dr Epsy Campbell Barr compared it to that of a caring mother. She said, “Womens power is like a mother in leadership…a mother thinks of everyone, their necessities.”

On the social front, Dr Nahla and youth icon Prajakta Koli spoke about how they are regularly aware of their position and their influence to use compassion as a catalyst for change.

Dr Nahl Al-Saeedi called upon educational institutions to raise awareness on women’s rights and support them in overcoming any challenges. She said, “A society cannot prosper without the equal contribution of men and women.”

Being a social media content creator and working with UNDP India on climate change, Prajakta Koli said, “I have the power to influence my community through social media to bring some actionable change and this got me into speaking about climate change.” When asked about compassion, she said, “Compassion for me means equality.”

The inaugural Youth Summit of Human Fraternity and Compassion is a 3-day event, being held at Viratnagar, Rajasthan from September 30th to October 2nd, 2023. The summit brings together global thought leaders, youth influencers, pioneers of human fraternity, religious leaders, decision-makers, and change agents. In a spirit of engagement, diverse voices will exchange ideas and discuss pathways to heal an increasingly fractured world, guided by the tenets of the Document on Human Fraternity to globalise compassion.

SMGC is a global movement to ignite ‘Compassion in Action’ in the world. It is born out of four decades of Kailash Satyarthi’s revolutionary life and path-breaking endeavours as a social reformer. SMGC will work to promote compassion in all areas of society, from education to business to government. It will also work to build bridges between different cultures and religions, and to promote peace and understanding around the world.

Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is an independent global award which celebrates individuals and institutions that break down division in society and strengthen human connection. With a monetary prize of USD 1 million, the award is an annual event held on February 4th in conjunction with the UN-recognised International Day of Human Fraternity.