Fora: Network for Change

As an organization that serves people at the intersection of gender equity and youth leadership, we believe in the power of reimagining systems with the prosperity of gender-marginalized people at the forefront. At Fora, our team works tirelessly to redefine leadership in spaces of power. A critical part of this mission is creating pathways of access to the spaces of power for gender-marginalized young leaders. As an organization that does not have ECOSOC accreditation, we are deeply grateful to our friends at Action Canada, Young Diplomats of Canada - Jeunes diplomates du Canada, and Canadian Voices of Women for Peace for sharing their access with us and, by extension, our incredible young, feminist network for change. CSW69 is particularly significant as it also commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—a global agreement that was adopted in 1995 to promote gender equality and women's rights. The main theme for this CSW will be to review and appraise the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. With all of this in mind, we are proud to present our delegation, all of whom are part of the vibrant Fora Network: Krushi Patel, Charlotte Burk, Aurora Pinelli, Sana Askari, Almeera K., Valerie Raquel Aguilar Dellisanti, Carina Torre and Mara Mahmud, MES. They will also be joined by our CEO, Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, our Director of Programs and Advocacy, Jen Vachon, and the Vice-Chair of our Board, Tanvi Girotra. We can't wait to share the learning and takeaways from this experience with you!

It's officially International Women's Month! Come celebrate the start of a powerful month by basking in some positive energy with us. At a time when DEI and gender equity work is under such scrutiny, it can be challenging to stay hopeful. We wanted to give you some good news and remind you that even in the face of adversity, there are still things to celebrate. Here is a list of gender equity highlights, both locally and internationally to feel good about: 💫 As of February 2024, the Canadian government committed $140 million to support women entrepreneurs through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.  This includes funding for loan programs, venture capital initiatives, and ecosystem support to enhance women's participation in business. 💫 The Gender Gap is closing. The World Economic Forum's 2024 report indicates that 68.5% of the global gender gap has been closed. 💫 Côte d'Ivoire finally getting the recognition it deserves. In October 2024, Côte d'Ivoire was acknowledged as the best-performing African country. in combating gender discrimination, according to the OECD - OCDE's Social Institutions and Gender Index. They scored 17.3, an incredible improvement from their 2019 score of 42.8. 💫 On November 27, 2024, Canada and Chile conducted a knowledge-exchange session focusing on the collection and use of sex and gender-disaggregated data. This collaboration aimed to develop policies and programs enhancing the ability to address gender disparities effectively. At a time like this, it’s more important than ever to recognize the power of gender equity work. Organizations like Fora are indispensable, and the importance of our work cannot be overlooked. Support our work foranetwork.org/donate __ Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)

When we look at a young leader like Sidra, we recognize an incredibly dynamic, accomplished, and passionate person. A change-maker invested in creating opportunities for her and other marginalized communities to gain important financial education and resources. Unfortunately, there are many situations where her hijab makes an impression before she does. Sidra is no stranger to navigating the complexities of systemic barriers and the challenges they pose to her inclusion in spaces of power. "When people see my hijab, there are many instances when they underestimate me. It makes me feel like I'm incompetent or incapable of doing what I need to do," says Sidra. Honing the skills, resources, and confidence is something Fora offers young leaders like Sidra. When you invest in Fora, you're investing in accelerating the future of young leaders like her. As we approach International Women's Day on March 8th, we encourage you to join us in creating more opportunities for young leaders to excel in their fields, and take control of their future. Help accelerate their progress by making a gift today! foranetwork.org/donate

Just because we're older doesn't mean we have all the answers," said Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, Fora's CEO, when we sat down with her last month to discuss her perspectives on Black leadership's future. As Black gender-marginalized youth grapple with the complexities of racial bias and systemic barriers that can hold them back from taking opportunities they deserve, leaders like Emma recognize the role they have to play in making space for emerging Black leaders in rooms of power. Connecting with young leaders keeps her inspired, but also reminds her that older generations of Black leaders have a lot to share. Here is her advice for emerging Black leaders ❤️ ✨ You don’t have all the answers. “You don’t have to have all the answers from the onset. It’s something I preach all the time. I did not have the answers in terms of where I was going and how I was going to get there, but what I did do was advocate for myself. I spoke up, I asked questions, I learned from others who had walked that journey before me.” ✨ Your network is everything. “I always say that your net worth is your network. And I don’t mean that in financial terms—I’m talking about the value a broader network can bring. The variety of perspectives and advice that can really inform the trajectory of your career and your life.” ✨ Trust who you are. “Get to know yourself. What are you good at? What are your interests? What are your values? Really do that introspective work to understand who you are and what you want to achieve in life. I know it’s hard—and this might be a little controversial—but sometimes what you’re good at doesn’t always align with where you will end up in your career, and that’s okay.” 💫 “Ask the questions. Connect with people. Learn from their journeys. Learn from their mistakes. I don’t think you can go wrong by doing that.” (Emma Asiedu-Akrofi) To read the full blog, check out https://lnkd.in/e5CVD8vh

Reimagining your board’s capacity for growth and innovation starts with how you support your younger board members. It’s true, more and more young leaders are finding opportunities to join boards they’re passionate about––but are they being met with infrastructure to support their success? Here are five practical ways to change the experience of young professionals on your board: • Avoid the trap of tokenism. • Invest in mentorship and coaching. • Acknowledge Imposter Syndrome. • Amplify youth voices. • Measure progress. Our free guide, More Than a Seat, will show you how to break down barriers that make young leaders feel unwelcome, address the biases they face that can weaken your board's overall capacity, and create stronger pathways for career growth and leadership development. We recognize that without intentional mentorship, young leaders risk being tokenized, overlooked, or simply dismissed. And when young voices are silenced, innovation suffers. Beyond the work we do with young leaders, we're focused on transforming boards from within. We encourage you to use our guide to enhance your board’s capacity to innovate and invest in young talent. Download our free resource today and share it with members of your network who currently serve on boards! https://lnkd.in/ez3pzvHH

Often, we end up discussing the systemic problem, the lack of supportive infrastructure, and the continuity of challenges that seem to link generations of Black leaders together. However, at Fora, we're in the business of cultivating hope as much as we are invested in creating solutions. We asked Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, Fora's CEO, "What makes you hopeful for the future of Black leadership?" Here's what she said. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackFutures #Hope

As a reminder, we'll be hosting a free town hall event next Wednesday February 26 from 6-7 PM EST. This event will be virtual and is open to all members of the Fora community! The goal of this event is to gather feedback from the community on the values needed for the future of our organization. If you’ve ever been involved with Fora’s work, no matter the size of your commitment or how long it has been since you last engaged with us, we welcome you to join on on Zoom next Wednesday. Registration for this event is required, and can be completed virtually – register via www.foranetwork.org/links. Please share this with your network, as this is a powerful opportunity to come together and collectively define the organization's future. 🔗 Link to register: https://lnkd.in/eh5dZrUd

We asked our CEO, Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, "What can we do to build a stronger support system that helps Black women and gender-marginalized youth reach their full potential?" Here's what she had to say. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackExcellence #NetworkFirst #Empowerment #Innovation

✨This is your last chance to apply to the Global Leaders Impact Fund – applications close tomorrow! If you're a Global Summit alumni and you want an opportunity to receive a $1000 CAD microgrant to invest in your social impact initiative, we urge you to apply. As a reminder, this microgrant is open to all Global Summit alumni! Even if you don’t meet all the criteria or have limited experience, you are still encouraged to apply. We believe in the potential of alumni at every stage of their journey and the power of innovative ideas to create meaningful change. 🔗 Link to apply: https://lnkd.in/ejEia-W3

There's only one week left to apply for the Global Leaders Impact Fund! This unique opportunity is for Global Summit alumni to further invest in their social impact initiatives! With generous support from Virgin Unite, we’re running a micro-granting program that offers Global Summit alumni $1000 CAD microgrants to further invest in their social impact initiatives. We will be selecting 30 projects, and the program will run from April–November 2025. This is your reminder that applications close on February 18, 2025. Here's the FAQ 👀 Who is this opportunity for? The microgrant is open to all Fora Global Summit alumni from any year. If you have participated in the Global Summit, you are eligible to apply for this exciting opportunity to bring your ideas to life. 🧠 Do I need a fully developed project to apply? Not at all! A fully developed project plan is not required. We welcome innovative project ideas—big or small. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are some ideas we’d love to support: • Community Tree-Planting • Digital Literacy and Mobile Skills Training • School Supplies and Literacy Kit Drive • Menstrual Health and Hygiene Initiatives 🏢 Does my project need to engage my city or government? No. Your project can focus on your school, neighbourhood, or local community — whatever makes the most meaningful impact in your environment. 💸 What kinds of projects are being funded? We aim to support initiatives that promote social impact, community development, education, environmental sustainability, health equity, and digital empowerment. If your project seeks to address a community need and create positive change, we encourage you to apply. 🚨PLEASE NOTE🚨 This microgrant is open to all Global Summit alumni. Even if you don’t meet all the criteria or have limited experience, you are still encouraged to apply. We believe in the potential of alumni at every stage of their journey and the power of innovative ideas to create meaningful change. 🔗 Applications are due on February 18 at 11:59pm: https://lnkd.in/ejEia-W3