The International Women’s Forum was launched in New York City in 1974, when the first generation of women leaders was breaking the glass ceiling in professional sectors from finance to fine arts. Forum founders lacked access to “the old boys’ club,” so the new women’s network was born–to provide professional and personal support, to aid each member’s success, and to inspire the women who follow.

Today, IWF connects more than 8,500 preeminent women leaders worldwide and is the only organization of this scale that builds significant relationships between C-level women across countries and careers.

IWF takes direct action to achieve our mission of advancing women’s leadership globally through three key initiative streams that foster alliances, promote mentorship, and support continual learning at the highest level:

• IWF’s Leadership Conferences combine networking opportunities for members at locations around the world with a robust program of thought leadership on issues of critical concern to global leaders.
• IWF’s Leadership Development efforts nurture the next generation of women leaders through networking, mentoring, and targeted training with initiatives like the Intensive Program and the Leadership Fellows Program.
• IWF’s Leadership Showcases provide inspirational role models across generations and inspire change by demonstrating how women’s leadership is transforming the world.