Agenda at a Glance

We hope you’ll join us on Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13. Please explore the events across the two days below.

Friday, April 12

Saturday, April 13

8-9:00 am: Breakfast and Registration

9:00am: Opening Remarks

Welcome: WIPC Faculty Chair Kessely Hong, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Faculty Chair of MPA Programs

9:15am: Morning Keynote

FEATURING REMARKS FROM DR. ANTONIA NOVELLO, THE FIRST FEMALE AND FIRST HISPANIC SURGEON GENERAL

10:30 Panel Session

International Development & Gender Justice

In this panel on International Development Policy, groundbreaking research intersects with powerful advocacy and industry leadership, as influential voices converge to discuss the impactful policies that empower and uplift communities globally, with a particular focus on gender justice issues.

Featuring

• Hela Cheikhrouhou, IFC’s regional Vice President for the Middle East, Central Asia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, and Pakistan

• Dr. Reshmaan N. Hussam, assistant professor of business administration at HBS, a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), faculty affiliate at the HKS Center for International Development, and a faculty affiliate at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD)

• Lydia Murithi, Senior Global Technical and Strategy Advisor at Pathfinder

• Jennifer Windsor, Global Practice Leader and Senior Director for Gender and Social Inclusion at the Millennium Challenge Corporation

• Moderator: Amal Fahem, MC/MPA 2024

  
  

The Path to Parity: Advancing Gender Equity in the Workforce

This panel will discuss how to address structural and cultural issues that contribute to gender disparities in the workforce and promote a more equitable and inclusive work environment for women.

Featuring

• Iris Bohnet, Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government and the co-director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School

• Afef Bedhiafi, Public Sector & International Donors Director - Deloitte Afrique

• Denella Clark, former Chairwoman of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women

• Moderator: Tram Nguyen, Massachusetts State Representative - 18th Essex District, MC/MPA 2024

  
  

11:45AM- 12:45PM: Lunch

Special Performance by the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones!

1:00-2:00PM Panel Session

Women Leading the Way: Empowering Voices in Climate Justice

The impacts of climate change will disproportionately impact the most vulnerable communities, and within those communities, women and girls will be at significant risk. This panel will highlight women leading the space to advocate for these communities and include them in the conversation.

• Melanie Allen,  Co-director of the Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice, co-chair of Grantmakers for Southern Progress and currently serves on the board of the Environmental Grantmakers Association.

• Surabhi Shah, Senior Policy Advisor for community revitalization, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Roishetta Ozane, Founder of The Vessel Project of Louisiana, Environmental Justice Champion; She Leads Fellow.

• Nina Schlegel, Executive Director, Global Center for Climate Justice

• Moderator: Vidya Viswanathan, Master of Public Administration Candidate, Harvard Kennedy School

  
  

Storytelling session

Join us for Storytelling Sessions from students across the Harvard Community! This event offers a safe and welcoming space created for members of the community to share their intimate life stories. This year, we are set to feature 10 inspiring tales that portray different experiences of womanhood regarding the challenges of breaking gender barriers, the power of resilience, and the journey of personal and professional growth.

2:15-3:15PM Panel and Workshop Session

Frontline Focus: Women's Leadership in Humanitarian Action

This panel is an opportunity to amplify voices of women leading humanitarian aid and relief work in conflict zones and discuss their experiences, the challenges of their work, the disproportionate impact of war and conflict on women in vulnerable communities, and their hope for the future.

Featuring

• Adrianna Korte-Nahabedian, Humanitarian Affairs Officer, UN OCHA 

• Maria Soledad Rueda Garcia, Operations Coordinator for the Middle East, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

• Dr. Marie Roseline Darnycka Belizaire, Senior Emergency Manager, World Health Organization

• April Pham, Senior Gender Advisor and Head of the Gender Unit, UN OCHA

Storytelling session

Join us for Storytelling Sessions from students across the Harvard Community! This event offers a safe and welcoming space created for members of the community to share their intimate life stories. This year, we are set to feature 10 inspiring tales that portray different experiences of womanhood regarding the challenges of breaking gender barriers, the power of resilience, and the journey of personal and professional growth.

Mentorship workshop

This workshop, facilitated by Colette Phillips, CEO of Colette Phillips Communications and the Founder of the award-winning cross-cultural “Get Konnected,” is designed to empower women at every career stage by delving into various mentorship dynamics, including reverse mentorship, navigating power structures, and fostering meaningful mentorship across gender nuances, ultimately unlocking your leadership potential.  

3:45-4:45PM Panel and Workshop Session

Reproductive Rights in Post-Roe America

Feminist scholars have long understood that the ability of women to participate equally in a country’s economic, political, and social life has depended on their ability to control their reproductive lives. The American anti-abortion movement has notched significant victories in the last two years: overturning Roe; restricting minors’ access to birth control; enshrining fetal personhood; and resurrecting an 1873 anti-obscenity law for judicial consideration. What happens now?

Featuring

• Sarah Varney, 2024 Harvard Nieman Fellow, Special Correspondent PBS NewsHour

• Sheila Ramirez, Director of Health Policy and Government Relations, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts

• Alicia Ely Yamin, Lecturer on Law

• Moderator: Sarah Wald, legal expert and adjunct lecturer in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School

AI Policy Developments

This panel will feature women leading discussions around the ethical development and use of AI, and how to address issues of safety and bias in a rapidly growing and transformational industry.

• Mia Shah-Dand, CEO of Lighthouse3 and Founder of Women in AI Ethics

• Marietje Schaake, International policy director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center and international policy fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence

• Jessica Newman, Director of the AI Security Initiative and Co-Director of the UC Berkeley AI Policy Hub

• Evi Fuelle, Global Policy Director at Credo AI

• Moderator: Sacha Alanoca, Co-Chair of the AI & Tech Policy Caucus at the Harvard Kennedy School

Negotiation workshop

The negotiation workshop, facilitated by Joan Moon, a negotiation coach and workshop facilitator who specializes in negotiation strategies that navigate gender bias, will be an interactive exercise that combines theory and practice to improve the understanding and effectiveness of negotiation and its role in our everyday lives.

5:00PM: Afternoon Keynote

FEATURING REMARKS FROM IVY MCGREGOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BEYGOOD FOUNDATION

6:30PM: Closing Reception

Join us in closing out the conference with a celebration of female entrepreneurs!

Co-hosted by the Women's Entrepreneurship & Innovation Organization at HGSE, this year's reception will feature remarks from Christina Wallace, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Please join us in celebrating the power of women and enjoy being in community with all our attendees, speakers, and vendors.

8:30AM-4:30PM: Makers Marketplace

Join us at the Women in Power Conference for an extraordinary showcase of creativity and innovation at the Makers Marketplace!

Support local Massachusetts businesses and indulge in unique, one-of-a-kind finds that celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship.

For inquiries or to reserve a table, please contact Vivian Pham, vivian_pham@hks.harvard.edu