BEIJING, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 1, 2023, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) successfully held the 2023 Women in Leadership Forum with participation from UNESCO and support from Development Reimagined. The forum convened 140,000 viewers across 8 media platforms and over 440 Zoom global participants. Focusing on Africa – a continent of the future – this year's forum convened distinguished ambassadors, academics and entrepreneurs who are spearheading gender equality in China and Africa across agriculture, energy, education and tourism sectors, while exploring solutions through a China-Africa lens.

CKGSB's Dean's Distinguished Chair Professor of Finance and Associate Dean, Li Haitao, delivered the opening keynote emphasizing CKGSB's commitment to empower increasingly more women business leaders through programs and scholarships since the school's establishment. 

Mohamed Elfarnawany, Director for Priority Africa Coordination Division at PAX of UNESCO, then expressed UNESCO's commitment to collaborate with CKGSB in advancing African women across education, culture, social sciences, and technology to achieve gender equality.

Subsequently, Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique to China, Maria Gustava delivered a keynote speech explaining how, "gender equality is not just an abstract concept, it is the cornerstone of building a prosperous and inclusive society." Oliver Wonekha, Ambassador of the Republic of Uganda to China, and Isabel Domingos, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe to China, echoed this idea in their dialogue chaired by Hannah Ryder, CEO of Development Reimagined.  

One of the event's highlights was the latest research findings that CKGSB's Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Associate Dean for Inclusivity, Diversity and Equity, Zhang Xiaomeng, presented on the barriers holding women back from leadership roles as well as female leaders' resilience and convergence.

The final panel consisted of Lina Ayenew, Founder of Education for Ethiopia and CKGSB alumna, Irene Maria, Product Owner of Safari Wallet, Li Yi, Co-founder of FarmWorks and Xu Xiaoju, President of Shenzhen Yinghe Technology Co.,Ltd. and CKGSB alumna, chaired by Dr Tao Zhigang, CKGSB's Professor of Strategy and Economics and Associate Dean. The four Chinese and African female founders shared best practices on applying innovative technologies to boost their businesses.

CKGSB has been hosting the Women in Leadership Forum since 2013 as a platform for celebrating success stories, empowering aspiring women leaders, promoting gender equality in the workplace, and offering an opportunity to create positive change.