Ep 57. Thelma Ekiyor, Global CEO Women for Women International: Investing in the Power of Women

About this episode

The episode features Thelma Ekiyor discussing women's empowerment and the importance of including women in decision-making processes for peace and development.

Thelma Ekiyor is an award-winning global leader in women's economic empowerment, philanthropy, impact investing, and international development. She is currently the Global CEO of Women for Women International - the first African woman to hold the role. Since 1993, Women for Women International has invested in the power of women in conflict-affected countries, supporting survivors of war to rebuild their lives, find their voice, and drive change in their communities: thus creating a more equal, peaceful, and prosperous world. And yet, more than three decades on, women remain excluded from peace-keeping frameworks and post-conflict power structures. In today's volatile geopolitical context, Thelma argues that excluding women from decision-making doesn't just limit progress, it actively undermines peace, development, and economic growth. In this conversation, we explore women's rights, the role of women as agents of change, and why engaging both governments and the private sector is critical to driving true ecosystem change. As a leader, Thelma underscores the importance of political intelligence alongside emotional intelligence, and the critical need to bring a business mindset to…

People in this episode

Host: Dhivya O'Connor

Guest: Thelma Ekiyor

Topics covered

• women's economic empowerment
• philanthropy
• impact investing
• international development
• women's rights
• peacekeeping
• ecosystem change

Keywords

• women empowerment
• philanthropy
• impact investing
• international development
• peacekeeping
• economic growth
• social sector

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Women for Women International

Places: Africa

More episodes of The Charity CEO Podcast

• Bonus: Anthropy26 with Rosie Jones, Founder, The Rosie Jones Foundation and Kim Samuel, Founder, The Belonging Forum - Who Gets to Belong? · June 1, 2026 · 54 min
• Ep 56. Anne Fox, CEO Clinks, and Ruth Armstrong, Director Justice Matters: Re-imagining Criminal Justice · March 2, 2026 · 1h 22m
• Ep 55. Hayley Roffey & John Hecklinger, Co-CEOs Global Fund for Children: Young People as Agents of Change · January 5, 2026 · 1h 10m
• Ep 54. Sarah Elliott, CEO Shelter: Fighting for home · December 1, 2025 · 47 min
• Ep 53. Adela Raz, Former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the U.S. & U.N. - Keeping hope alive for Afghan women and girls · May 5, 2025 · 56 min
• Ep 52. Kathy Evans and Rosie Ferguson, former CEOs of Children England and House of St Barnabas: A conversation on charity closure and lasting impact · March 3, 2025 · 1h 2m