GWL Voices and Club de Madrid: Connecting the Local and the Multilateral for Inclusive Democracies

GWL Voices took part in the Club de Madrid’s Regional Meeting “Transformative Leadership and Inclusive Democracy: Inspiring Experiences and Necessary Consensus towards Equality”, held on 8–9 October 2025 at the AECID Training Centre in Montevideo, Uruguay. The event brought together former Heads of State and Government, national and local authorities, gender experts, and representatives of international organisations to advance gender equality and inclusive democracy across Latin America, marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing+30).

Among the prominent participants were Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and Vice President of Club de Madrid, and María Elena Agüero, Secretary General of Club de Madrid — both members of GWL Voices. Their participation reflected the shared commitment of both organisations to promoting women’s leadership, equality, and democratic transformation.

GWL Voices Panel: Connecting local with global through Women in Politics

As part of the two-day programme, GWL Voices led a high-level panel titled “Connecting the Local and the Multilateral: Challenges and Solutions for the Representation of Women in Subnational and Local Governments.” The session was facilitated by Claudia Briones Smith, project manager of GWL Voices’ Women in Politics initiative, in collaboration with UN Women and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).

The panel featured distinguished speakers including:

• Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile (2006–2010, 2014–2018), Vice President of Club de Madrid, and member of GWL Voices.
• María Elena Agüero, Secretary General of Club de Madrid, and member of GWL Voices.
• Bibiana Aído Almagro, Regional Director of UN Women for the Americas and the Caribbean.
• Paola Pabón, Prefect of Pichincha, Ecuador.

The conversation focused on how to bridge local and global agendas to strengthen women’s representation in subnational governments — where decision-making directly impacts communities and democratic trust. Panelists examined persistent barriers such as gender stereotypes, care burdens, and political violence, while highlighting successful strategies for building women’s leadership in local politics.

President Michelle Bachelet emphasized the importance of connecting global frameworks such as Beijing+30, the Pact for the Future, CEDAW General Recommendation No. 40, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with local realities to accelerate gender parity across all levels of governance. María Elena Agüero and Paola Pabón reflected on the structural barriers that hinder women’s access to executive positions, underscoring the need for multilevel alliances to create more equitable political ecosystems.

Women in Politics: Bridging Local Leadership and Global Influence

The session also showcased preliminary findings from GWL Voices’ initiative Women in Politics — developed in partnership with UCLG and UN Women, and connected to the WYDE Women’s Leadership Programme, led by the European Commission and UN Women.

Women in Politics seeks to strengthen the evidence base on women’s representation in local and subnational governments and to connect local experiences with multilateral processes. By fostering exchange between women leaders and global policymakers, the initiative promotes transformative leadership that builds more inclusive, resilient, and equitable democracies.

A Shared Vision for Transformative Leadership

Through its collaboration with Club de Madrid, GWL Voices continues to advance its mission of amplifying women’s voices in global governance and strengthening the bridge between local and multilateral action. The Montevideo meeting reaffirmed that inclusive democracy depends on women’s full and equal participation at every level of decision-making — from local councils to the United Nations.