Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Women Leaders Invited to a Landmark Strategy Summit at the UN

Mark your calendars: on March 11 and 12, 2027, the United Nations Headquarters in New York will open its doors to one of the most meaningful women’s gatherings of the year. The Gender Priority Strategy Summit and Luncheon, a side event of the UN CSW71 Session organized by the African Women Working Group, is calling on women leaders, advocates, and changemakers from around the world to take their seats at the table.

The summit is led by Prof. Dr. Ada Okika, working together with Ruth Sisters’ Fellowship International and the Rebuilding Lives Project. Its theme says everything about the ambition behind it: “Women of Purpose, Women of Strategy, Women of Impact.” This is not a conference where people sit quietly and listen. Every session is built around a simple idea — women come in with purpose and leave with a plan.

Three sessions, one powerful weekend

Day one, Thursday, March 11, opens with the Executive Education Course from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The course focuses on four practical areas: Leadership Development, Policy Engagement, Strategic Advocacy, and Global Partnerships. The motto for the day is “Lead, Empower, Transform” — and the goal is hands-on. Attendees will walk out with sharper leadership skills and a clearer picture of how to move policy and build alliances that last.

Friday, March 12, begins with the GEPS Luncheon, running from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The centerpiece is “The Gender Purse,” a session dedicated to fighting poverty and putting real economic power in women’s hands. The afternoon also brings an Esteemed Women Conversation, the graduation of CICA/Fellow participants, and the presentation of the book “Women of Purpose from Deborah to Beijing” — a title that ties the history of women’s leadership to today’s movement.

The same Friday evening closes with a special program: the GEPS CSW71 “Gender Majesty” evening, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. It is designed as a celebratory finish to two full days of learning, strategy, and connection.

What makes this summit different

Many events talk about empowerment. This one is structured around it. The entire summit rests on five pillars — Prayer, Policy, Empowerment, Partnerships, and Transformation — which means the spiritual, the practical, and the political all get their place. For women who run organizations, lead communities, or are building a career in advocacy, that mix is hard to find in one room.

The timing matters, too. As an official side event of the UN CSW71 Session, the summit sits inside the world’s largest annual gathering on gender equality. Attendees get the energy of the Commission on the Status of Women plus a focused space to dig into strategy, economics, and leadership with Prof. Dr. Ada and her team.

Why it matters

Progress for women rarely comes from one speech or one law. It comes from women who know how to lead, how to work with policy, and how to build partnerships that carry an idea past the applause. That is exactly what this summit is set up to deliver — practical training, honest conversation, and a network that keeps working long after March 12.

If you are a woman with purpose and a vision to lead, the Gender Priority Strategy Summit and Luncheon is your invitation. March 11–12, 2027, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York — two days to sharpen your strategy and step into your impact.