Smriti Irani Leads a Transformative Gender Equity Agenda at Davos 2025

Smriti
Irani,

Chairperson
of
the

Alliance
for
Global
Good
Gender
Equity
and
Equality,
emerged
as
a
transformative
force,
leading
several
key
initiatives
on
Gender
Equity
and
Equality
agenda
at
Davos
along
the
sidelines
of
the

World
Economic
Forum
(WEF)
2025,
championing
gender
equity
as
a
critical
driver
of
global
economic
growth
and
social
progress.
 

Smriti
Irani,
Chairperson
of
the
Alliance
for
Global
Good
–
Gender
Equity
and
Equality,
leads
pivotal
discussions
at
the
2025
World
Economic
Forum
 

With
an
agenda
grounded
in
actionable
solutions,
Ms.
Irani’s
leadership
at
the
summit
highlighted
the
moral
imperative
of
gender
parity
and
showcased
its
undeniable
business
case.
Through
a
series
of
high-profile
engagements
with
world
leaders,
industry
titans,
and
media
influencers,
Ms.
Irani
advocated
for
embedding
gender
equity
into
global
economic
frameworks.
Her
narrative
was
clear
and
resonant:
Gender
equity
is
more
than
a
societal
aspiration;
it
is
an
economic
necessity
capable
of
unlocking
trillions
in
global
GDP.
 

In
a
pivotal
meeting
with

Singaporean
President
Tharman
Shanmugaratnam,
Ms.
Irani
discussed
innovative
policy
frameworks,
including
gender-responsive
trade
agreements
and
integrating
women
entrepreneurs
into
global
value
chains.
This
dialogue
laid
the
groundwork
for
collaborative
solutions,
leveraging
Singapore’s
policy
expertise
and
the
Alliance’s
grassroots
momentum.
 

An
impactful
meeting
with

Bill
Gates
further
reinforced
the
Alliance’s
mission
to
create
systemic
change.
The
duo
explored
collaborative
approaches
to
dismantle
barriers
in
healthcare,
digital
skilling,
and
leadership.
Mr.
Gates
expressed
strong
support
for
the
Alliance’s
data-driven
strategy,
emphasizing
scalable
solutions
with
measurable
impact.
 

Ms.
Irani’s
meeting
with

Børge
Brende,
President
of
WEF,
marked
a
reflective
moment,
highlighting
the
Alliance’s
achievements
since
its
inception
in
2024.
She
emphasized
milestones
such
as
the
Commonwealth
Partnership
for
gender-inclusive
programs
and
the

SAWIE
(South
Asian
Women
in
Energy)
initiative,
a
collaborative
effort
to
amplify
women’s
leadership
in
the
energy
sector.
 

Ms.
Smriti
Irani’s
leadership
shone
brightly
during
WEF
sessions
that
seamlessly
combined
data-driven
insights
with
human
stories
of
resilience.
The
session
“Women
at
the
Fulcrum
of
Global
Economies,”
moderated
by

Ms.
Smriti
Irani
and
co-hosted
by
the

Bill
and
Melinda
Gates
Foundation
highlighted
women’s
control
of
50%
of
global
wealth
by
2030
and
the
importance
of
tapping
their
potential
by
integrating
women
into
the
workforce,
with
data
suggesting
it
could
contribute
an
additional
$1.6–$2.3
trillion
to
global
GDP.
 

At
the
Alliance’s
flagship
“We-Lead
Lounge,”
Ms.
Smriti
Irani
convened
global
stakeholders
to
address
critical
gaps
in
leadership
and
representation
across
technology,
healthcare,
and
sustainability.
The
discussions,
ranging
from
the
future
of
work
to
women’s
role
in
climate
action,
yielded
commitments
to
skilling
initiatives
and
gender-inclusive
policies.
 

2025
World
Economic
Forum
 

A
hallmark
of
Ms.
Irani’s
strategy
was
her
focus
on
measurable
impact.
Collaborations
with
corporate
leaders
like

Naspers
CEO
Phuthi
Mahanyele-Dabengwa
and

Salesforce
SVP
Naomi
Morenzoni
emphasized
equipping
women
with
digital
skills
to
lead
in
emerging
sectors
such
as
technology
and
e-commerce.
These
discussions
laid
the
foundation
for
long-term
initiatives
aimed
at
integrating
women
into
the
digital
economy.

Ms.
Smriti
Irani
also
prioritized
healthcare
advancements,
partnering
with
organizations
like
GAVI
and
the
Coalition
for
Health
Innovation
and
Collaboration
(CHIC)
to
expand
access
for
underserved
women
globally.
 

Recognizing
the
power
of
media
in
driving
systemic
change,
Ms.
Irani
collaborated
with

TIME
Magazine’s
Viktoria
Degtar
and
others
to
amplify
women’s
leadership
stories.
These
efforts
aimed
to
ensure
that
women’s
contributions
resonate
globally,
shifting
narratives
and
creating
inclusive
platforms
for
recognition.
At
Davos
2025,
Smriti
Irani
demonstrated
a
results-oriented
approach
to
fostering
sustainable,
inclusive
growth.
Her
leadership
cemented
the
Alliance’s
position
as
a
global
catalyst
for
gender
equity,
setting
a
pragmatic,
scalable
model
for
economic
and
social
transformation.
 

About
Alliance
for
Global
Good
–
Gender
Equity
and
Equality

The

Alliance
for
Global
Good
–
Gender
Equity
and
Equality
is
a
landmark
initiative
launched
by
India
at
the
World
Economic
Forum
Annual
Meeting
2024
in
Davos,
Switzerland,
reflecting
Prime
Minister
Shri
Narendra
Modi’s
vision
of
“Women-led
Development.”
Supported
by
WEF,
CII,
Bill
and
Melinda
Gates
Foundation,
and
over
10,000
industry
partners
including
Tata,
Bayer,
Uber,
and
Mastercard,
the
Alliance
aims
to
foster
global
collaboration
on
women’s
health,
education,
and
enterprise.
Anchored
by
the
CII
Centre
for
Women
Leadership,
it
builds
on
commitments
from
the
G20
Leaders’
Declaration
and
aligns
with
India’s
ethos
of
Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam
–
“One
Earth,
One
Family,
One
Future.”
With
WEF
as
a
network
partner
and
Invest
India
as
an
institutional
partner,
the
Alliance
is
set
to
drive
impactful
change
through
best
practices,
investments,
and
knowledge
sharing,
furthering
inclusive
growth
and
bridging
gender
gaps
globally.

About
Smriti
Irani
Smriti
Zubin
Irani
is
a
seasoned
politician
and
social
activist
with
over
two
decades
of
experience
in
public
service.
A
three-time
Member
of
Parliament,
she
gained
national
prominence
by
creating
history
in
2019,
defeating
the
then-Congress
President
in
Amethi,
a
constituency
previously
seen
as
a
Congress
stronghold.
She
has
served
in
the
Union
Cabinet
under
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
in
key
portfolios,
including
Women
&
Child
Development,
Minority
Affairs
(as
the
first
non-Muslim
Minister),
Human
Resource
Development,
Information
&
Broadcasting,
and
Textiles.
Known
for
her
dedication
to
policy
reform
and
inclusivity,
she
was
India’s
youngest
Cabinet
Minister
in
Modi
1.0
and
2.0
and
the
first
woman
to
lead
the
HRD
and
Textiles
Ministries.
She
has
represented
India
in
global
forums,
including
the
Inter-Parliamentary
Union,
and
was
named
a
Young
Global
Leader
by
the
World
Economic
Forum
in
2015.
Smriti
Irani’s
activism
extends
to
gender
equity,
disability
inclusion,
and
women’s
empowerment.