2026 Seminars

Resilience is increasingly recognized as an economic challenge as much as a humanitarian or climate challenge. Communities are strongest when women, young people, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups can participate meaningfully in economic life. As climate, economic, and social shocks become more frequent and complex, building resilient economies requires the meaningful inclusion of those most often excluded from economic opportunities. Across the globe, women are driving transformative change as entrepreneurs, producers, innovators, investors, and community leaders. Yet resilience cannot be achieved through women's economic participation alone. Young people, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups must also have equitable access to finance, markets, skills, technology, and decision-making opportunities.

This session will explore how women are leading the transformation of economies while creating opportunities that strengthen resilience for entire communities. It will examine how inclusive economic systems can unlock the potential of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations to build sustainable livelihoods, adapt to climate change, and contribute to long-term economic growth. Bringing together leaders from business, finance, development, and social enterprise, the discussion will move beyond traditional approaches to economic empowerment and focus on what it takes to create inclusive markets that work for all.

Session Objective

To demonstrate how investing in the economic leadership of women and creating opportunities for youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups can strengthen resilience, accelerate climate adaptation, and drive inclusive economic growth.

Discussion Areas

1. Women as Catalysts for Economic Transformation and Resilience: How are women-led enterprises and initiatives driving economic growth, strengthening livelihoods, and helping communities withstand and recover from climate and economic shocks?

2. Inclusive Markets That Leave No One Behind: What barriers continue to prevent women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups from fully participating in economic systems, and what approaches are proving most effective in overcoming them?

3. Financing Inclusion and Resilience: How can investors, financial institutions, and development actors better support inclusive entrepreneurship and ensure underserved groups have access to finance, markets, and business opportunities?

4. Building Climate-Resilient Livelihoods: How can inclusive economic models strengthen adaptive capacity, expand decent work opportunities, and support vulnerable communities to thrive in the face of climate change?

5. Partnerships for Systemic Change: What collaboration is needed between governments, businesses, investors, civil society, and communities to scale inclusive and resilient economic development?