Global leaders from government, international institutions and industry came together in Abu Dhabi this week as WiSER marked 10 years of work supporting women in sustainability leadership.
More than 120 influential figures attended the WiSER Annual Forum held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026. The forum brought together policymakers, practitioners and advocates to examine how women’s leadership can shape sustainable and inclusive development worldwide.
WiSER is a global platform founded by Masdar and the Zayed Sustainability Prize. Since its launch in 2015, it has focused on advancing women’s participation and leadership across sustainability, climate and development agendas.
This year’s forum was held under the theme “Inclusive Pathways for Transformative Growth”. Discussions centred on how women leaders can drive long-term systemic change, with sessions addressing inclusive finance, policy and governance reform, scaling innovation, skills for the future of work, leadership norms and inclusive foresight to build resilience.
The event welcomed senior participation from across governments and international organisations, including H.E. Lucia Witbooi, Vice President of the Republic of Namibia.
Speaking at the forum, H.E. Lucia Witbooi said: “Inclusion is the foundation of sustainable progress. When women are empowered to lead at the highest levels, institutions become more responsive, decision-making more balanced, and development more resilient. Global platforms like the WiSER Annual Forum play a vital role in ensuring that women’s voices help shape the policies and systems that define our collective future.”
Dr Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director of Brand and Strategic Initiatives at Masdar and WiSER Program Director, reflected on the platform’s decade-long journey and its ambitions going forward.
“Over the past ten years, WiSER has shown what becomes possible when women are trusted as leaders and supported to act. Looking ahead, our focus is on momentum and building pathways that enable women to lead the next era of sustainability, innovation, and policy. The future we are working toward is one where inclusion is not an aspiration, but a driver of lasting impact,” she said.
A key moment during the forum was the launch of WiSER’s 10-Year Impact Report. The report documents a decade of progress in advancing gender-inclusive leadership within the global sustainability space and outlines the platform’s priorities for the next ten years.
According to the report, WiSER has grown into a globally recognised initiative over the past decade. Through its flagship Pioneers programme, the platform has supported more than 150 women sustainability leaders from over 30 countries. It has also delivered more than 565 hours of structured one-to-one mentorship, working with a global network of more than 35 mentors and over 85 strategic partners.
WiSER said its impact extends beyond headline figures. Alumni of the Pioneers programme have launched clean energy businesses, contributed to climate and energy policymaking, advanced innovation, and led projects aimed at improving access to energy, water and climate-resilient infrastructure. Several alumni have gone on to participate in major global forums, including the Conference of the Parties (COP), and to influence decision-making across government and industry.
In addition to its annual forum, WiSER has hosted summits and policy dialogues across six continents. Through these platforms, it has convened more than 4,000 voices from government, industry, academia and civil society. Insights from these engagements have fed into white papers, podcasts and policy dialogues intended to inform decision-making at multiple levels.
The 10-year milestone also signals the start of WiSER’s next phase. Looking ahead to 2035, the platform plans to expand its global presence, strengthen engagement with alumni, scale field-based initiatives such as WiSER Cares, and increase its policy advocacy efforts to accelerate women’s leadership in sustainability worldwide.
WiSER said its experience over the past decade shows that gender equity sits at the heart of sustainable development. As it enters its next chapter, the platform is calling on governments, businesses and civil society to work together in shaping a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.
