CSW70 New York 2026
Vivacity Development actively contributed to CSW70 2026 as part of its ongoing Future of Work and women’s economic empowerment agenda. The high-level side event, titled “Future of Work, Future of Justice: Strengthening Legal Pathways for Women’s Economic Empowerment,” was held on March 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the ILR School, Cornell University (570 Lexington Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10022, United States).
The convening assembled global leaders, policymakers, founders, legal experts, advocates, and ecosystem builders to explore actionable legal, policy, and investment pathways that advance women’s full participation in the future of work. It directly supported Vivacity Development’s mission of driving inclusive economic transformation, digital capacity-building, and sustainable workforce development across Africa and the diaspora.
Event Theme:
“Future of Work, Future of Justice: Strengthening Legal Pathways for Women’s Economic Empowerment.”
The theme highlighted the critical intersection of legal reform, economic justice, talent development, and cross-border collaboration required to remove systemic barriers and position women as central drivers of the global economy.
Speakers and Panelists:
The event featured a distinguished international lineup (as detailed in the official CSW70 2026 flyer):
– Engr. Kemi Ann-Melody Areola – CEO, Vivacity Development
– Jen Libby – CEO & Founder, Promly
– Dr. Gift Chidima Nnamoko-Orairu – President and Founder, The New Africa Group
– Kiema Ogunlana – Program Director, Sam Empowerment Foundation (SEF)
– Carol Hanlon, GAICD, MAIBEF, AIMM – Founder, CEO, Belmont BEC Inc. (IBEC Global)
– Annette-Awele Akpolo – Head, People and Culture, Flutterwave
– Dr. Omopeju Afanu – Founder of an enterprise-focused platform
– Dr. Elizabeth Jack-Rich – CEO, ELIN Group / Founder, E-JRAID
– Anna Campbell – NGO Delegate, Pacific Women’s Watch, Aotearoa New Zealand
– Karima Rhanem – President of the International Center for Diplomacy, Founder of Africa My Home
– Dr. Marsha Kline Pruett – Yale School of Medicine
– Bolanie Oyediran – Founding Partner and Director, Wonderful Way CIC
– Aditya Khurjekar – Managing Partner at TNBT Global
– Hunter Boon – Founder, Project 248
– H.E. Dr. Andrise Bass, PhD, EdD – Founder, Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research
– Dr. Louisa Akaiso – Founder, Women Who Win Africa; Convener, The Image of LeadHERship™ Summit
– Beverly Naya – Award-winning Nigerian-British actress, filmmaker, and advocate
– James Barrood – CEO of Innovation and INNOVATE100
– Dr. Justina Mutale – Founder of the Justina Mutale Foundation
– Evangelina Ayaga – Country Director of the Latin-African Chamber of Commerce (CLAF) in Equatorial Guinea
– Sharon Sewell-Fairman – Drocident & CFO, President & CEO, Women Creating Change
Sponsors / Partners:
Supported by:
- Commission on the Status of Women
- The New Africa Group
- Sam Empowerment Foundation (SEF)
- Promy
- The Ebaidebheki Initiative
- (and aligned partners within Vivacity Development’s ecosystem)
Event Structure:
The session was structured as a focused, high-level dialogue featuring expert presentations, panel discussions, and strategic networking to drive concrete commitments on legal and economic empowerment.
Core Objectives:
Aligned with Vivacity Development’s Future of Work framework and the CSW70 mandate, the event sought to:
- Strengthen legal pathways enabling women’s economic participation in the future of work.
- Bridge policy, investment, and grassroots action for inclusive workforce transformation.
- Foster cross-border collaborations between Africa, the diaspora, and global institutions.
- Advance justice-oriented solutions addressing systemic barriers to women’s economic empowerment.
- Promote actionable commitments for sustainable, scalable impact.
Key Insights and Thematic Highlights:
Drawing from the concept notes previously generated from event transcriptions and dialogue:
- Legal Pathways as Strategic Economic Asset
Perception and policy frameworks function as critical economic levers, often determining access to opportunities more than individual capability alone. Strengthening legal pathways is essential to close the justice gap and unlock women’s full economic potential. Sustainable progress requires moving beyond transactional advocacy to long-term, systemic partnerships across governments, private sector, and civil society. Urgent integration of digital tools and data-driven policy is needed to maintain competitiveness in the future of work.
- Capacity Building and Ecosystem Maturity for Women Leaders
Success for women founders and executives is deeply linked to structured education, mentorship, and legal capacity-building. The current pace of ecosystem development risks undermining depth, strategy, and long-term sustainability. A deliberate “pause-and-reflect” approach is required to reassess outdated models and align them with evolving market and legal realities.
- Market Intelligence, Policy Clarity, and Business Model Innovation
An investor and policy lens underscored the importance of timing, contextual awareness, and deep understanding of local and global economic patterns (including gendered consumer dynamics and spending cycles). Differentiating between policy assumptions and real-world value propositions is vital. Moving beyond talk to evidence-based models that embed legal protections and economic justice is key to scalable impact.
- From Dialogue to Tangible Action and Personal/Collective Empowerment
In opening and closing reflections, Engr. Kemi Ann-Melody Areola and fellow speakers reinforced that CSW70 serves as a convergence platform where legal justice meets economic opportunity and ideas meet execution. The risk of “talk-shop syndrome” must be mitigated through structured follow-through mechanisms. Participants emphasized balancing personal benefits (the “oxygen mask” principle) with collective good—leveraging sectoral opportunities for both individual advancement and broader women’s economic empowerment, rather than relying solely on nonprofit models. Insights must translate into measurable outcomes, particularly in unlocking funding, policy reform, and ecosystem growth.
Strategic Implications / Next Steps:
– Institutionalize Legal Capacity-Building: Integrate structured legal education, mentorship, and policy training into national and international women’s entrepreneurship and workforce programs.
– Build Justice-to-Capital Pipelines: Develop platforms that continuously connect women-led ventures and talent to global investors and policy influencers.
– Strengthen Legal and Creative Economy Frameworks: Establish monetization systems, digital tools, and policy-backed programs to professionalize women’s participation across sectors.
– Enhance Market and Policy Intelligence Capabilities: Embed real-world, localized, and gender-responsive insights into workforce and entrepreneurship training.
– Drive Accountability and Execution: Introduce post-event tracking systems, partnership frameworks, and measurable action commitments.
– Promote Inclusive Workforce Development: Expand access to digital skills, innovation ecosystems, green/tech opportunities, and legal protections in line with Vivacity’s broader Future of Work vision.
Conclusion:
By bridging global policy and capital with local innovation and aligning with its broader Future of Work and digital transformation agenda, Vivacity Development continues to drive transformative impact for women’s economic empowerment across Africa and beyond.
About
Vivacity Development is a leading social enterprise committed to building a more
equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future for all. Our initiatives address critical
global challenges including the future of work, gender justice, climate resilience,
digital transformation, and youth empowerment. By partnering with governments,
development agencies, communities, and innovators, we advance transformative
solutions that close gender gaps and expand opportunities for women and girls
across Africa and the Global South.
At the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), Vivacity
Development is honored to host a high-impact side event titled:
“Future of Work, Future of Justice: Strengthening Legal Pathways for Women’s
Economic Empowerment.”
This convening will bring together policymakers, gender advocates, legal experts,
grassroots leaders, and private-sector champions to explore how legal and
institutional reforms can unlock women’s full participation in an evolving world of
work defined by digitalization, automation, and green transitions.