“No country can move forward if half the population, women and girls, are left behind,” shared Alyse Nelson, president and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. “We can see that women are not just an economic force or another number to be tapped in society. Women are a powerful leadership force.”
On Monday night in the West Village, Vital Forces partnered with Estée Lauder to gather some of the most powerful changemakers, founders, and leaders around the world—Diane Von Furstenberg, Karlie Kloss, Imaan Hammam, Indré Rockefeller, Denise Bidot, and more showed their support for the mission.
To date, Estée Lauder and Vital Voices have trained, connected, and supported 400 women leaders across 60 different countries and four different generations through their VV Visionaries leadership program. Nelson made one thing clear—they are just getting started. Whether it be tackling challenges of climate change, economic inequality, or gender-based violence, the female leaders recognized by Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Fund and Vital Voices are intrinsically driven and will not back down from a problem that needs solving.
“I am immensely proud to partner with Estée Lauder because they truly understand the power of women. Estée started this empire that always put women at the center,” Nelson added.
Estée Lauder ambassadors Karlie Kloss and Imaan Hammam sauntered around the floral-filled lounge, engaging with guests and honorees. Kloss was greeted by some of her own Kode With Klossy interns, “Let me get a photo with my girls!” she squealed, embracing them with maternal pride.
Kloss took the stage to introduce the first-ever recipients of the Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Beautiful Forces Grants, sharing, “As an ambassador for the past six years, I have seen firsthand how the brand works to empower women at every level of the organization.” The honorees Kloss introduced came from Canada, Chile, Nigeria, and Brazil, each one embracing the global impact of the partnership’s mission.
Amina Mohamed is the founder of Cameras for Girls, an organization that challenges gender disparities in media and equips girls in Africa with cameras to empower them with greater access and opportunities in media-based careers. Maria Consuelo Hermosilla Gonzalez, founder of Fundación Antonia, created an organization that works to eliminate intimate partner violence by providing free care and support to survivors, while raising awareness to eradicate gender violence in Chile. Renata Koch Alvarenga is the founder of EmpoderaClima, a youth-led organization that raises awareness about the impacts of climate change on women and the role of gender-transformative climate education. Each woman took the stage to share their thanks and was met by the crowd with prideful tears and hopeful clapping.
Unable to attend but honored from afar was Olasumbo Adeleke, executive director of Gender Power Africa, who works to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, in rural communities through economic empowerment, training, and capacity building.
Rounding out the night, Nelson left a lasting message. “Just imagine the ripples of good and of change. I know that Estée Lauder would be proud; we certainly are.”
