Business programme

The World Federation of Russian-Speaking Women was created following a decision of the 3rd Eurasian Women’s Forum. It includes representatives of more than 150 countries. The main goal of the organization is to bring Russian-speaking women throughout the world together to preserve fundamental human values, traditions, and culture, and develop a conscientious attitude towards history.

What opportunities for expanding business and public relations does the Federation use in the current climate? How can the efforts of women be united to advance a positive agenda? How do national culture and language strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation with other countries?

Moderator:
Yelena Afanaseva — Member of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Coordinator of the Eurasian Women's Forum Council projects 'Russian Compatriots Abroad', 'Women Parliamentarians Club', Russian Federation (Orenburg region)

Panellists:
Khanzada Baltayeva — President of the Public Association International Global Women's Leadership, Republic of Kazakhstan
Elena Bogdan — Deputy State Secretary of the Union State, Republic of Belarus
Bernadette Maria Jagger — Deputy Minister of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare of the Republic of Namibia, Republic of Namibia;
Tamara Lorincz — Senior Researcher, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Canada;
Diana Piliia — Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Abkhazia, Republic of Abkhazia;
Arelys Santana Bello — President of the Permanent Commission Youth, Children and Equal Rights of Women of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba, Republic of Cuba

The number of women who work in municipalities is more than three times higher than that of men. Exchanging knowledge and experience in matters concerning municipal governance can take cooperation between countries to a new level. One promising area is the development of cooperation between sister cities, which could become platforms for implementing joint projects and exchanging best practices in municipal governance.

What role do women play in municipal diplomacy and establishing economic and humanitarian ties? What are the most effective practices of international cooperation among female municipality leaders? What innovative approaches and effective mechanisms for the development of municipal territories can be replicated in other countries? How can we popularize the achievements of women leaders in the development of municipalities?

Moderator:
Irina Guseva — Co-Chairman of the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government, Member of the Presidium of the Presidential Council for the Development of Local Self-Government, Russian Federation (Moscow)

Panellists:
Marina Dik — Deputy of the City Assembly of Deputies of Tursunzade, Republic of Tajikistan;
Iryna Dobrovolskaya — Coordinator of Youth and Social projects of the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots in Belarus, Republic of Belarus;
Anna Du — Chairman of the Council of the Municipal Education Council of the Syktyvkar Urban District Komi Republic, Russian Federation (Komi Republic);
Elena Dyatlova — Head of Kaliningrad City Administration, Russian Federation;
Oksana Kosenko — Head of Administration of Tselinsky District, Russian Federation (Rostov region);
Emiliya Radzhabova — Deputy Head of Administration of Makhachkala City Urban District with Intracity Division, Russian Federation (Republic of Dagestan);
Ladan Ranjbar Haghighi — Coordinator of the Women's Committee of the Asian Mayors Forum, Islamic Republic of Iran;

The 2nd Russia–Africa Summit held to much acclaim in St. Petersburg in July 2023 was a qualitatively new step in the development of Russia–Africa relations. A shift has occurred – from formulating goals and objectives to implementing specific projects and developing mechanisms and tools for mutually beneficial cooperation aimed at creating a more just world order, developing the economy in the interests of the people of Africa and Russia, and furthering constructive interaction in science, technology, and humanitarian work.

What projects, including joint projects, are being successfully implemented in Africa? What role do new technologies and modern educational practices play in the development of Russia and Africa today? What is the role of Russian and African women in the implementation of strategic development objectives for Russia and African countries?

Moderator:
Irina Abramova — Director, Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, corresponding member of RAS, Russian Federation (Moscow)

Panellists:
Jessica Rose Epel Alupo — Vice-President of the Republic of Uganda, Republic of Uganda
Lidi Bessi Kama — Minister of Sport and Recreation of the Togolese Republic, Togolese Republic;
Lilia Gumerova — Chairman of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation (Bashkortostan)
Maria Zakharova — Director, Department of Information and Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Loide Kasingo — Vice-President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Namibia, Republic of Namibia;
Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa — Member of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Zimbabwe;
Nina Ostanina — Chairman of the Committee on Family Protection, Issues of Fatherhood, Motherhood and Childhood, State Duma of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Anna Popova — Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare; Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Ndey Seinabо Puy — Chairperson of African Women for Economic Development;
Lyudmila Skakovskaya — Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, Russian Federation (Tver region);
Korraa Soheir — Professor, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, President, Association of African Women in Nuclear, WIN Egypt, Arab Republic of Egypt
Brigitte Touadera — Wife of the President of the Central African Republic, Head of the F.A. Touadera Cri de Coeur d'une Mere Foundation, Central African Republic;
Bertha Chinyanga — Member of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Zimbabwe;

Such challenges as preserving life on the planet, ensuring a decent way of life, developing people’s abilities, protecting the health of women and children, overcoming poverty, and enhancing women’s self-realization are all common components of women’s humanitarian mission regardless of the country. International cooperation among women in this regard helps to more effectively achieve sustainable development goals, serves to bring cultures closer together, and promotes mutual understanding.

How can the potential of socio-political and humanitarian cooperation be used to promote common values, including spiritual and moral ones? How do educational programmes for women, including programmes to develop women’s leadership, influence the rapprochement of countries on humanitarian issues? What role does the interaction of state and public institutions play in intensifying humanitarian cooperation? What new communication channels can be used to enhance its influence?

Moderator:
Lyubov Glebova — First Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Federation Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, Russian Federation (Udmurt Republic)

Panellists:
Elena Alonchikova — Pro-Rector of Synergy University, CEO of TechWeek, Russian Federation (Moscow);
Irina Gaychentseva — General Director of the Fund Ugra Regional Guarantee Organization, Russian Federation (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra)
Larisa Dal — Head of the Department for the Development of Educational Activities of the Russian Society ‘Znanie’, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Vera Kuzubov — Managing Partner of the Ecostandart Group of Companies, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Alina Radchenko — Director of the Russian Culture Centre in Cyprus, Cyprus (Nicosia)
Nandy Some Diallo — Minister of Solidarity, Humanitarian Action, National Reconciliation, Gender Equality and Family Affairs of Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso;
Olga Khokhlova — Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Vladimir Region, Russian Federation (Vladimir Region)

The current climate has made the task of uniting the efforts of international organizations to protect the rights of citizens around the world more urgent than ever. International women’s associations actively oppose discrimination based on language, nationality, culture, religion, or other grounds. In their activities, they use both legal mechanisms and elements of soft power – the development of international humanitarian cooperation, cultural exchange, and support for women’s entrepreneurship.

What tools can women use to protect the rights and interests of citizens? How can international cooperation contribute to this? How can the practice of applying the positive experience of different countries in protecting human rights be expanded? What role do international women’s associations play in popularizing the achievements of national culture and art?

Moderator:
Yelena Afanaseva — Member of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Coordinator of the Eurasian Women's Forum Council projects 'Russian Compatriots Abroad', 'Women Parliamentarians Club', Russian Federation (Orenburg region)

Panellist:
Natalia Krylova — Chief Scientific Associate, Institute of African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation (Moscow);

The Women 20 (W20) meeting is one of the main events of the Eurasian Women’s Forum. Over its history, W20 has become an effective tool for interaction between female members of society and world leaders. Thanks to W20, initiatives proposed by women have become impetuses for reforms in different countries.

What are the W20’s priorities in 2024–2025? How do they correlate with the goals of major international associations, such as the UN, the ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organisations, and the Eurasian Women’s Forum? What can W20 offer to more actively promote the initiatives of women who participate in integration associations? How can they consolidate their efforts to enhance the role of international interaction among women at the global level?

Moderator:
Victoria Panova — Russian W20 Sherpa, Coordinator of the project of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum "Women in the dialogue of international organizations and associations", Vice-Rector, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Russian Federation (Moscow)

Panellists:
Graciela Nelida Adan — Member of the Women's G-20 for the Argentine Republic, Argentina;
Narnia Bohler-Muller — South African W20 Delegate, Republic of South Africa
Satoko Kono — Member of the Japanese Delegation to the Women's G20, Japan;
Svetlana Lukash — Deputy Head, Expert Department of the President of the Russian Federation; Russian G20 Sherpa, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Elena Myakotnikova — Member of the Russian Delegation to the Women's Twenty (W20), Coordinator of the project of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum "Climate Initiatives and Carbon Regulation", Russian Federation (Moscow)
Janaina Nolasco Gama — Co-Chair of the Women's G20 in Brazil, Brazil;
Sandhya Virsinh Purecha — India Sherpa at the Women's G20, India;
Chiou See Anderson — Head of the Women's G20, Australia;
Gulden Turktan — Founding President of W20; Turkish W20 Sherpa; Member, Presidential Council, Turkey
Hadriani Uli Silalahi — Indonesian W20 Sherpa, Indonesia

Women are playing an increasing role in almost all areas of the economy, as well as in the field of law. The expansion of trade and economic ties and the loyalty of a company’s partners and its overall economic results largely depend not only on the qualifications and expertise of lawyers, but also on the qualities that are often found in women: creativity and the ability to negotiate and find compromises.

How does the legal regulation of the economy contribute to economic development? What role do women lawyers play in harmonizing the legal approaches used to solve any problems, and how is this affecting the development of cooperation? Which legal standards are strategically important for international cooperation? What practices exist to encourage the peaceful resolution of disputes and improve corporate governance? How is legal education being transformed? What role does mentoring play for the younger generation of practicing lawyers?

Moderator:
Elena Borisenko — Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, Gazprombank, Russian Federation (Moscow)

Panellists:
Julia Mullina — General Director, Russian Arbitration Center at the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization "Russian Institute of Modern Arbitration", Center for International and Comparative Legal Studies, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Natalia Pavlova — Judge from the Russian Federation, Court of the Eurasian Economic Union, Russian Federation (Moscow)
Maria Luisa Ramos Urzagaste — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bolivia to the Russian Federation, Bolivia
Natalya Tretyak — General Director, Prosveshcheniye, Russian Federation
Teresa Cheng — Founder Member & Co-Chairman Asian Academy of International Law, China

For decades now the West has been pushing its rules and so-called liberal values on the rest of the world. The result is a totalitarian dictatorship, especially as regards issues of gender. Mothers are no longer called mothers, fathers are thrown in jail for insisting that their daughters be called daughters, and biological men are allowed to beat up on women in the name of sport. Such a culture of radicalism is enforced with religious fanaticism and does not reflect the views, attitudes, and wishes of the majority of the world’s population, with a rejection of its basic tenets growing even in the West itself.

More and more nations are asserting themselves and their right to defend their cultural sovereignty. It is in this context that Russia finds itself with an historical opportunity to bring our changing world the idea of healthy traditionalism. How should we capitalize on this opportunity? What effective solutions exist?

Moderator:
Margarita Simonyan — Editor-in-Chief, RT TV channel and Rossiya Segodnya Media Group, Russian Federation

Panellists:
Maria Zakharova — Official Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation
Natalya Kochanova — Council of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus
Binod Singh — Director, BRICS Institute, India
Veronika Skvortsova — Head, Federal Medical-Biological Agency of the Russian Federation
Aleksander Yakovenko — Rector, The Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation

The supreme audit institutions of different countries focus on the theme of inclusiveness and support for women, as well as the empowerment of all women and girls, in their agendas as one of the key factors that influences the development of states. Interaction among representatives of supreme audit institutions on international platforms helps to replicate the best practices of utilizing a balanced approach to inclusion issues in society. We can get closer to the goal of sustainable development by taking into account the principle of inclusiveness and equality among men and women in budgeting and implementing state strategies and programmes.

What methods and international standards are most effective in conducting an audit of the principles of the inclusiveness and equality of men and women? What mechanisms of interagency interaction are most effective in implementing state strategies/policies/programmes in matters concerning the inclusiveness and equality of men and women? How does the budgeting of these strategies/policies/programmes work? What are the most effective ways of implementing them based on the audit results? What aspects are most emphasized in the principles of equality of men and women in this regard?

Moderator:
Evelina Zakamskaya — TV Presenter, Russia 24 TV Channel; Chief Editor, Doctor TV Channel, Russian Federation (Moscow)

Panellists:
Olga Glushkova — Member of the General Council of the All-Russian Public Organisation ‘Business Russia’, owner of GC ‘Dynasty’ (Perm);
Ibrahim Mahamat Itno Zara — President of the Court of Accounts at the Supreme Court of the Republic of Chad, Republic of Chad;
Rebecca Mathai — Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India Marta Eugenia Acosta Zúñiga, Comptroller General of the Republic of Costa Rica, Republic of Costa Rica
Svetlana Orlova — Auditor of Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation;
Elena Perminova — Chairman of the Committee on Social Policy, Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
Muna Toure Samake — Deputy Comptroller General of Public Services of the Republic of Mali, Republic of Mali;
Huang Xiaowei — Vice President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women’s Federation, Vice Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council of China;
Ndao Hadi — Magistrate, Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) of Senegal;
Inga Chirikbaia — Auditor of the Chamber of Control of the Republic of Abkhazia;

International relations are currently undergoing a profound transformation due to the formation of a polycentric world order. In this regard, the role of diplomacy is increasingly significantly since it is an integral part of the modern world that plays a key role in preserving and intensifying international cooperation, maintaining a culture of dialogue, ensuring the ability to listen and hear, and keeping communication channels open in times of crisis.

Women play a special role in building international cooperation in all parts of society. They make a significant contribution to the humanization of international relations, while strengthening an atmosphere of trust and understanding between different people.

Moderator:
Marina Kim — Member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications; Russian journalist and politician

Panellists:
Bobana Andjelkovic — Head of the Belgrade Department of the International Eurasian Movement Moscow-Belgrade NGO, Serbia;
Simona Halperin — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the State of Israel in the Russian Federation;
Lyubov Glebova — First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, Coordinator of the project ‘Strengthening the Position of Women in the Social and Political Life of the Country’
Tatiana Dovgalenko — Deputy Director of the Department for Multilateral Cooperation and Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, Russian Federation;
Maria Zakharova — Director, Department of Information and the Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation
Grigory Karasin — Chairman of the Committee of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Foreign Affairs, Russian Federation
Karin Kneissl — Head of the Center for Geopolitical Observatory on Key Issues of Russia G.O.R.K.I., Saint-Petersburg State University FSBEI HE, Former Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs
Konstantin Kosachev — Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
Armi Lopez Garcia — Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in the provinces of Cebu, Aklan and Bohol (Philippines)
Tamara Lorincz — Senior Researcher, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Canada;
Liberata Rutageruka Mulamula — Member of the National Assembly of the United Republic of Tanzania;
Aleksandr Pankin — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation;
Maria Luisa Ramos Urzagaste — Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bolivia to the Russian Federation
Sachenka Encarnacion Solano — Director of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic;
Choe Son Hui — Minister of Foreign Affairs, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea
Natalia Strigunova — Head of the Department of Scientific and Coordination Work of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation FSBEI HE
Elena Sutormina — First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the International Public Foundation Russian Peace Foundation;
Marina Tauber — Deputy, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova;
Fawzia Yusuf Haji Adam — Deputy of the Lower House of the Federal Parliament of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Head of the Russia-Somalia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia;