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The IWF community mourns the passing of IWF South Africa member Dr Vuyokazi Mahlati, a champion for equality, an entrepreneur, mentor and inspiration to many.

Dr Vuyo Mahlati was passionate about women’s issues and leadership development. IWF South Africa was founded 19 years ago when its patron, Mrs Zanele Mbeki, together with a group of women leaders, set up a South African chapter of the IWF. Vuyo was determined to work with her forum sisters to make it a success, remaining true to the forum’s mission throughout her life. She was an inspiring and unifying force, and her impact on the forum will be felt for years to come.

The special interest groups have developed into a time for IWF members to hear and learn from fellow members, and engage in an enriching dialogue focused on a specific sector. We are excited to continue the special interest groups in the virtual space.

On Wednesday, September 30 we joined the Special Interest Group: Philanthropy for a discussion with La June Montgomery Tabron, President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. La June will talked about leadership, racial healing and how women’s leadership can change the world in this moment. 

“Leading in a Disrupted World” Features Discussions on Critical Global Issues Including the COVID-19 Pandemic, Racial Justice and Climate Change

October 6, 2020

WASHINGTON – From October 20-23, 2020 the International Women’s Forum (IWF) will convene nearly 1,000 women experts from more than 32 nations virtually for the World Leadership Conference and Gala. Centered around the theme “Leading in a Disrupted World,” the three-day conference will provide a global platform for thought leaders across sectors to discuss topics ranging from racial justice to the importance of women’s leadership in a crisis.

On September 29th, IWF heard from esteemed women’s rights icon and IWF Southern California member, attorney Gloria Allred, in a special session highlighting the issue of violence against women, impacting women globally.

Ms. Allred has dedicated her life to pursuing equal justice under the law for all Americans no matter their gender, race, age, sexual orientation or disability. Ms. Allred is a partner in the law firm of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg which has been the leading women’s rights law firm in the United States for 44 years. Her law firm has won new rights for women and minorities and hundreds of millions of dollars for victims of violence against women. Ms. Allred will address what is happening in many high profile cases involving victims of rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault and sex trafficking of underage girls. She will discuss the Harvey Weinstein case, the case of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Bill Cosby, R. Kelly, Cuba Gooding Jr., and the sexual harassment case against billionaire, Alki David, which her law firm won last year resulting in a verdict of $58,250,000 for one victim of sexual harassment.

On Thursday, September 24, we were joined by the Special Interest Group: Health Care for a discussion with Ivy Ng, CEO of Singapore Health and Services and member of IWF Singapore, Dr. Elena Orfanos-Boeckel, Internist, Praxis fuer Ganzheitliche Innere Medizin and member of IWF Germany, and Dr. Lucy Hone, Director, New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience and member of IWF New Zealand.