Unquestionably, women have made significant advances in their presence and power in both the political and business arenas. Although the numbers of women in political office and in the board room, globally, remain relatively low, there is growing evidence of marked positive impact where women have a substantial presence. Recent studies undertaken on women's leadership and power in the corporate and business arena mirror, in certain respects, studies undertaken evaluating the impact of women in the political arena: the outcomes on process, structures and policies improve - and, in business, profitability improves as well.

To date, the linkages between women in the political and business arenas remain fairly limited. This session will compare women's advances in these two critical sectors and compare the information and data that exist related to the impact a significant presence of women in leadership and power positions can create. By comparing different arenas, the session will seek transferable lessons and strategies for increasing women's presence and power, as well as for magnifying the positive impact they have. In addition, the session will consider prospects for greater cooperation between and across these sectors to overcome common barriers and support women's ability to create significant change. The session encourages the participation of individuals from the business, public, research and civil sectors who want to improve the efficiency and efficacy of government and business, particularly by maximizing the opportunities that are offered by increasing gender equality.

Limited scholarship funding may be available for those who are unable to pay the full fee (i.e. from developing countries or NGOs). Participants seeking scholarship assistance must submit an application for financial aid to our admissions office.