Women in Leadership: Accelerating Development Outcomes Conference

Hybrid conference | Thursday 10 - Friday 11 September 2026

Women continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles across politics, business, public administration and civil society. Yet growing evidence suggests that increasing women's participation in leadership can have important implications for governance, organisational performance and development outcomes.

This two-day international conference brings together leading researchers, policymakers and practitioners to examine what enables women to attain leadership positions and what impact women's leadership has on societies, institutions and economies.The conference will bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners and organisational leaders from around the world.

Across keynote lectures, research presentations and policy discussions, participants will explore evidence on interventions that expand women's access to leadership opportunities and consider how leadership can contribute to economic development, service delivery, organisational effectiveness and broader social change.

Meet our keynote speakers

• Amanda Clayton is Professor of Political Science at Berkeley. Her research examines gender, political representation and leadership, with a particular focus on how women's participation in politics influences governance and development outcomes.
• Matthias Doepke is Professor of Economics at LSE and an expert on economic growth, family economics and long-run development. His research explores how institutions, demographic change and gender dynamics shape economic and social outcomes.
• Rohini Pande is the Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics at Yale University. Her work focuses on development economics and public policy, with influential research on gender, political representation, governance and economic inclusion.

About the conference

The conference is organised by the World Bank Gender Department, the Gates Foundation and LSE's Hub for Equal Representation in the Economy (H.E.R). By bringing together insights from research, policy and practice, the conference aims to identify effective strategies for expanding women's access to leadership roles and accelerating positive development outcomes worldwide.

In partnership with the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Center for Global Development (CGD), Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) and Women in Economics in Latin America and the Caribbean (WELAC).

The programme will showcase the latest research on women's leadership, covering topics including political representation, public sector leadership, private sector decision-making and the relationship between leadership and development outcomes.

Programme

The draft conference programme is available here. The final programme will be available soon.

How to attend?

Please note registration is mandatory to attend the conference.

Inperson Attendance: Join us on campus for two days of keynote lectures, research presentations and policy discussions. Spaces are limited and advance registration is essential: Register to attend in person.

Online attendance: The conference will be streamed live for those unable to attend in person. Registered online participants will receive joining instructions in advance of the event. Register for the online stream.

Who should attend?

The conference will bring together academics, students, policymakers, practitioners, organisational leaders and representatives from international organisations interested in advancing evidence on women's leadership and development.