The Women Leaders’ Conclave (WLC) is a national platform dedicated to men and women working to advance women’s leadership across public life, institutions, and the development ecosystem. Conceived as a space for serious dialogue, strategic reflection, and collaborative action, the Conclave brings together leaders from government, academia, industry, civil society, and the social sector to engage
with the most pressing questions of leadership, equity, and nation-building.
Following the success and strong national engagement of its first edition, WLC 2026 marks the second edition of this flagship initiative. It builds on the foundations laid in 2025 and seeks to deepen the quality of discourse, broaden participation, and strengthen the pathways through which ideas translate into institutional and societal change.
Vision: To build a powerful community of change makers fostering social and economic empowerment of women. Advancing women’s leadership through dialogue, collaboration, and action-oriented initiatives.
WLC 2026 - CLAIMING EQUITY IN VIKSIT BHARAT
As India advances on its journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat, the question of equity must movefrom the margins to the centre of the development agenda. Growth that is not inclusive cannot besustainable, and progress that does not expand opportunity cannot be transformative.
The second edition of WLC is anchored in the theme ‘Claiming Equity in Viksit Bharat’. The Conclave will place women’s leadership, voice, and agency at the heart of conversations on development, governance, and institutional transformation. It will serve as a high-level, multi stakeholder platform to examine how equity can be meaningfully embedded across economic, social, and environmental domains, and how leadership can act as a catalyst for this shift.
The Conclave will examine how women’s leadership can move from participation to influence, and from visibility to decision-making authority. It will interrogate the subtle and overt barriers that continue to shape women’s trajectories across governance, academia, corporate leadership, technology, and grassroots institutions. It will also spotlight models that demonstrate how women-led institutions
often generate more inclusive, community-responsive, and sustainable outcomes.
Distinguished Speakers and Panelists
The Conclave will feature a carefully curated group of:
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Academic leaders and scholars from premier institutions including IIMs, IITs, and other leading universities
- Senior professionals and experts from the legal, medical, policy, and development sectors
- Representatives from civil society, industry, and social innovation ecosystems
- Influential voices shaping contemporary discourse on women’s leadership and equity
Key Thematic Conversations
- Addressing structural barriers – glass ceilings, institutional biases, and systemic exclusion
- Building inclusive institutions: pathways to equitable workplaces and leadership cultures
- The role of education, mentorship, and capacity-building in nurturing women leaders
- Navigating intersections of gender with class, caste, religion, and culture in leadership trajectories
- Women, Leadership, and AI: Navigating Opportunity, Power, and Risk
Intended Outcomes
- Strategic recommendations to inform policy, practices, and programme design
- Strengthened networks among leaders, institutions, and practitioners
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Identification of collaborative initiatives and partnerships to advance leadership development and equity agendas
- A shared roadmap for embedding equity within India’s broader development vision
Participants
- Women leaders and emerging leaders across sectors
- Academics, researchers, and students of public policy, governance, and development
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Corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals
- Representatives of civil society organisations, foundations, and policy institutions
- Policymakers and practitioners engaged in governance and social transformation
WLC 2026 aspires to serve not only as a forum for dialogue, but as a catalyst for sustained action, anchoring women’s leadership and equity at the core of India’s journey towards a truly Viksit Bharat!
WLC REPORT 2026 – CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Building on the precedent set in the 2025 edition, WLC 2026 will culminate in the publication of a comprehensive Conclave Report. The report will document key deliberations, thematic insights, strategic recommendations, and emerging frameworks for advancing women’s leadership within the broader vision of Viksit Bharat.
To ensure intellectual depth and diverse perspectives, the Conclave invites a Call for Abstracts from scholars, practitioners, policymakers, institutional leaders, and emerging researchers. Selected abstracts will be developed into short papers and featured in the official Conclave Report 2026.
The Call for Abstracts will align with the core themes of the Conclave, including:
- Equity in governance and institutional leadership
- Structural and systemic barriers to women’s advancement
- Leadership models rooted in intersectionality
- Women, technology, and the future of work
- Policy innovations for inclusive development
Detailed submission guidelines, timelines, and review processes will be circulated separately