Global leaders call for a fairer international financial system for women at GWL Voices high-level panel at Ff4D in Sevilla

Today, in July 1st, 2025, during the United Nations Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), GWL Voices hosted a high-level panel titled: “Financing Women for a Fair Future: Alternatives to Retool Development and Reform Finance from a Women’s Rights Perspective.”

The event brought together prominent women leaders to discuss bold strategies to place gender equality at the heart of international financial reform, highlighting concrete proposals to advance women’s rights and economic justice.

Panelists included Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa, Executive Director of GWL Voices and Former President of the UN General Assembly; Ms. Aminata Touré, Former Prime Minister of Senegal and Member of the Club de Madrid; Ms. Ana María Alonso Giganto, Spain’s Ambassador-at-Large for Feminist Foreign Policy; Ms. Noemí Espinoza, Ambassador and Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States; and Ms. Cristina Gallach, Secretary of the Board of GWL Voices and Former High Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda of Spain, who moderated the session.

Speakers emphasized that the current global financial architecture continues to exclude and underfund women—particularly in the Global South. They called for urgent action to redirect investments toward the care economy and women’s economic empowerment, ensure that climate financing integrates a gender lens and supports women’s leadership, reform global economic governance to guarantee women’s full participation in decision-making, and advance women’s right to economic autonomy and access to financial resources.

“We cannot keep operating under financial systems that perpetuate inequality. Women must not only benefit — they must lead”, said Ms. Espinosa. Following the same principle, Ms. Touré emphasized that “money is essential in reforming the lives of women”. Meanwhile, Ms. Alonso added that “cooperation is the path to make an impact”, and on the priority sectors for action, Ambassador Espinoza stated, “the care economy is a priority.”

Panelists agreed that FfD4 represents a critical opportunity to shape a global financial architecture that expands women’s access to finance, increases their labor-force participation, and contributes to shared prosperity.

The panel concluded that commitments are just the beginning; to deliver real progress, a robust framework for implementation and accountability will be essential. The “Seville Platform for Action” — a new initiative to mobilize partnerships among governments, civil society organizations, and private sector actors to advance concrete actions — is a promising step in this direction, not only for a moral imperative — it is also smart economics.

For more information and interview requests, please contact Nat Pastor at nat@gwlvoices.org