United at the United Nations: G100 Geneva Meetings, 14-20 September 2020 

It was a great experience with much learning and insights guiding our onward path. Everyone we met was most warm and welcoming, appreciated our endeavour, and helped us onward. 

When we put a group of people together, in environments of trust and togetherness, everyone contributes and co-creates a better tomorrow by pooling in respective strengths. Such has been our experience across all our platforms, and it was proven yet again at the highest echelons of thought leadership at our G100 – UN Meetings in Geneva.

Passionate in our purpose and enthusiastic in our endeavours, we shared across all our meetings that if we can all focus on SDG 5 of Gender Equality, with the same sense of urgency as the climate actions, then we can easily achieve ALL the other SDGS by 2030 via the inclusive and all-enabling goal of gender equality. By focusing on SDG 5, we can unleash the powerful potential of women’s creativity, enterprise and leadership, and ensure their robust participation in all walks of economy and society. Indeed, gender equity and quality can be achieved in this decade itself by our concerted actions and we do not have to wait a hundred years. 

In the meetings, we also explored how we could work together with ongoing projects at the UN/IOs and how we could support via our network’s strengths. We have a huge empowered network of 250,000 women entrepreneurs and leadership across 150 countries, and now with the denim club, we further have eminent He for She champions. Surely, we can work with each and all and pool in our collective and respective strengths in resolving bottlenecks and mitigating barriers faced by women globally, especially in underserved regions. 

Our participating Global Chairs offered solutions from their wings and governments toward access and inclusion of women and youth, integrating them more into the global mainstream of progress and prosperity. Especially in our meeting with the Hon’ble Human Rights Commissioner, our select recommendations were presented and solutions offered for online education for girls in Afghanistan. 

We learned that we needed to continue with ever more commitment and solidarity – fostering groups and meetings from time to time in dialogue, exchange and inspiration, openly sharing from diverse perspectives to expand our hearts and minds- all of which will further collaborations and bring down barriers between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ as we humbly realise that there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. The powerful experience of our Oneness expands and elevates us and we feel the surge of strength and generosity within to take the next steps in faith and ambition.

No one needs to live in hunger, poverty, indignity, illiteracy, abuse, violence or fear. We can together create safer, smarter, inclusive and equitable spaces for all. The collective entrepreneurial energy and wisdom of women and men worldwide is ready and intentional toward engaging with global institutions to deliver the change. Partnership is the new Leadership, as they say, and Collaboration is key to Innovation. We ALL want to do it and thus we can. 

Everyone in G100 was with us – as the strength in our hearts, the surge in our spirits and the sprint in our steps. Each one empowered us as we proudly mentioned their presence and participation. We realised ever more that we can truly consolidate our efforts in collaboration and partnership with global governments, diverse institutions and policy influencers – achieving gender equality in this decade itself, and thus all the SDGs. 

An ancient Vedic verse says, “As we feel, so it manifests.” 

Together we can, Together we will.

Testimonials: 

“Having spent a great deal of time in Geneva over the years, I know that most organisations only go to Geneva to visit the UN and other institutions with a big ask – usually money or contracts. We also went with a big ask – an ask “to be included”. Most importantly and unlike any other organisation I have known, we went to give, freely, our network of women across the globe – women at senior level, through to women at community level. Most importantly, we went to demonstrate our mission of being action focussed, united, benevolent and committed to the goal of gender equality – not by 2030, but by 2025. Why 2025? Because if we can achieve SGD5, gender equality, by 2025, then we can achieve all the other SDGs by 2030. Attaining gender equality makes everything possible! With such a message coming from our founder, and Lizbeth, Yasmina, Chantal and I supporting with evidence based experiences, you will understand that we were very well received and our mission was extremely successful. For sure we are now going to be tested, but I am confident that our G100 network of sisters will deliver whatever is asked of us. I am extremely honoured to have had you all sitting on my shoulders, as much as Harbeen is proud to have you as her wings.” – By Madi Sharma 

“Our trip to Geneva was a successful one by all means: We were able to introduce G100 and all other initiatives such as: WICCI, ALL Ladies League, WEF, SHEconomy, and the role of BIOAYURVEDA who is sponsoring all mentioned initiatives. We learned a lot about UN Organizations work and other offices that we visited as well. We offered our services and expressed our will to establish bridges between us and them, and help them in achieving their goals. They were very happy to know that our Network is presently comprising 250000 women around the world, and by end 2022 we will become 1 million. Making Gender Equality a reality by 2025 is one of our main goals that we hope to achieve by collaborating with all concerned parties. I was also honored to meet 25 female leaders from Geneva during a friendly meet and greet meeting. We listened to amazing stories  of success and we made profitable connections for our private business as well.” – By Yasmina Azhari

“My participation in the G100 Geneva meeting was an enriching and fascinating experience with regard to its unique approach of women’s leadership at the forefront. Knowing that the G100 stands for a greater representation of women – in short parity, my conviction for the cause and my contribution to G100 are all the more stronger.” – By Chantal Yelu Mulop 

Participating Delegates: 

      1.Dr. Harbeen Arora, India 

       Founder, G100

      2.Suman Gahlawat, India 

      Special Representative of Founder, G100

      3. Chantal Yelu Mulop, DRCongo

      Global Chair, G100 Wing – Human Rights 

      4. Dr. Lizbeth Goodman, Ireland 

      Global Chair, G100 Wing – STEM Education  

      5. Madi Sharma, UK 

      Global Chair, G100 Wing – Communication & Advocacy 

      6. Yasmina Azhari, UAE 

      Global Chair, G100 Wing – Public Relations 

Schedule of Meetings:  

Tuesday, 14 September 

UN Geneva: 4pm 

With Ms. Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service and Ms. Nicole Maguire, Gender Focal Point at the UN Office at Geneva, on behalf of DG of UN Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya. 

UNRISD: 5pm

With – Paul John Ladd  Director, United Nations Research Institute For Social Development. 

Denim Partner: 6:30pm 

Philippe Metoudi – co-founder & CEO, Fintica AI. G100 Denim Club Partner – Mergers & Acquisitions. For G100 Global Chair, Rina Neoh, Singapore. 

Wednesday, 15 September 

Denim Partner: 10am 

With Mr. Jean Todt , President FIA and UN special envoy Road safety, and Denim Club Partner – Ecovilisation – G100 Global Chair: H.E. Violeta Bulc.

UNESCO: 12noon

With YDO Yao, Directeur, Bureau international d’éducation de l’UNESCO (BIE)

Thursday, 16 September 

UNCTAD: 10:30am 

With Sabrina Ielmoli, Chief of the Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement Section within the eCommerce and Digital Economy Branch

UN – OHCHR: 2pm

With Dr. Michelle Bachelet, UN Human Rights Commissioner and Former President of Chile (UN-OHCHR)

Friday, 17 September 

Breakfast Meet & Greet: 7:15am 

with Dovile Grigiene from Lithuania, G100 Global Chair – Equity & Equality, and Emanuela Donetti, Director, Women Economic Forum (WEF)- Mediterranean 2022

UNCTAD meeting: 9:30am

With Simonetta Zarrilli, Chief, Trade, Gender and Development Programme

Division on International Trade and Commodities

ILO 1:30pm 

With Ms Manuela Tomei, Director of the ILO Conditions of Work and Equality Department, on behalf of DG, ILO, Guy Ryder; accompanied by Ms Chidi King, Chief, Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch, and Ms Jae-Hee Chang, Senior Programme and Operations Officer, Bureau for Employers’ Activities

Saturday, 18 September 

Network Meet & Greet : 3-6pm 

With 25 sisters who joined from Geneva and across Switzerland, including G100 Global Chair for Private Equity & Impact Investing, Anastasia Kalinina

Sunday, 19 September 

BPW meeting : 11am 

With Dr. Catherine Bosshart 

BPW International President 

Pictures: 

https://www.facebook.com/583502773/posts/10159683505412774/?d=n 

Videos: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2-lAuvxAQ8MUEYD1ESvQIw

Upcoming Meetings: 

G100 – EU Meetings (The Hague, Rotterdam, Brussels)

6 – 13 November 2021 

G100 – UN-New York Meetings  

29th November- 4 December 2021