How women CEOs are changing global development

Female leadership in global development has come a long way — but there is still a lot of work to be done, and a long way still to go. That was the message from the speakers in the latest edition of Devex’s Leader Roundtable series, which brought together a group of women CEOs to discuss their experiences of the global development sector at the executive level. Find the full recording of the event at the bottom of this page. To mark International Women’s Day, Devex Executive Vice President Kate Warren spoke to Caroline Anstey, CEO of Pact; Gina Lagomarsino, CEO of Results for Development; and Dorothy Nyambi, CEO of Mennonite Economic Development Associates, or MEDA. The conversation covered: • How the global development sector is doing when it comes to advancing women in leadership, and how that’s shaped by the sector’s roots in colonialism. • Challenges facing women and other underrepresented groups in leadership, and practical strategies to overcome them. • Handling the impostor syndrome. • The impact of the pandemic on female leadership. • The need to diversify models of leadership. • Supporting systemic change around equity and inclusion across the sector. The Devex Pro Leader Roundtable series brings together a group of leaders each month to discuss the business of development in an intimate virtual roundtable with our subscribers. If you’re a Pro member, you’ll receive invites to the latest editions by email, or you can check our events page for all our upcoming events.