Global First Ladies Alliance

Global First Ladies Academy

Despite the role First Ladies play in enabling change, few receive the training, network, and resources they need to do so successfully. The Global First Ladies Academy was created to address this need. The Academy - a four-day certified executive leadership training in health and development - is provided annually in partnership with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

To learn more about the 2024 Global First Ladies Academy, please email Olivia Bulis, Coordinator, GFLA, at olivia@gfla.org

2023 Academy

In 2023, we launched the first Academy in partnership with Columbia University and the Organization of African First Ladies for Development.

Over four days, Columbia Mailman faculty and GFLA experts led interactive sessions with First Ladies from Botswana, Burundi, The Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, covering topics from effective leadership, communications, and strategic policymaking to public health system-strengthening, program intervention, HIV/AIDS, women’s cancer and HPV.

The week’s highlight was a roundtable discussion between participating First Ladies from African nations and U.S. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden—a meeting that underlined the partnerships between First Ladies globally. (Read more about Dr. Biden’s visit here.)

First Ladies Roundtable

Since 2009, GFLA has convened First Ladies, their senior staff, and expert advisors to share best practices and build the capacity of the First Lady’s Office. A core component of the program is a facilitated off-the-record roundtable for First Ladies to share their personal experiences and discuss successes and challenges.

Through this work, GFLA has helped foster stronger relationships between the First Ladies, facilitated multi-sector partnerships, and helped First Ladies develop focused agendas in collaboration with the President’s Office, national ministries, and other international and local agencies.

Impact: Elevating the Status & Influence of First Ladies Globally

2009

Los Angeles

2010

Washington, DC

2011

New York & Addis Ababa

2012

New York & Addis Ababa

2013

Dar Es Salaam, Addis Ababa & New York

2014-2018

New York

Highlights

2013

In 2013, GFLA partnered with the Bush Institute for the “Investing in Women Strengthening Africa” Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The two-day summit brought together Heads of State, current and former First Ladies, including Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Cherie Blair, government officials, academics and representatives from non-profit and private sector organizations around the world to focus on effective investments in women that lead to greater stability and prosperity in countries. Participants discussed how to effectively empower women entrepreneurs and improve agricultural outcomes for female farmers among other issues.

2017

In 2017, GFLA partnered with Facebook, MAC AIDS Fund and OkayAfrica for The Future of Women: Defining Leadership in a New Era Summit. The summit was held during the United Nations General Assembly Week in New York and focused on tangible solutions for creating equitable societies. Through working sessions on women’s empowerment and the role of technology and social media, First Ladies discussed ways to amplify women’s voices and create positive change. At this summit, GFLA announced #theFutureofWomen 2017 Awardees and celebrated the work of rising African women leaders in the area of technology, social impact, and creative entrepreneurship.

2018

In 2018, GFLA partnered with Scholastic, ATKearney, and Voice of America for a summit focusing on strategic planning. The summit was held during the United Nations General Assembly week in New York and engaged First Ladies and their Offices from thirteen countries. Through this summit, First Ladies refined their priorities, implementation strategies, and methods for evaluation and reporting.