Woman Shaping Tomorrow

We are proud to share the tremendous success of the recent Women Champions for Change (WCC) convening, which marked five years since the signing of the Abraham Accords. On 17 September 2025, this vital three-day summit at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Tel Aviv brought together 30 inspiring women social impact leaders from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. These are changemakers, each building bridges and fostering cross-border collaboration for a more connected future.

Our very own Stav Bar-Shany was a driving force behind this groundbreaking initiative. As a co-creator of the WCC network, Stav led the project from its inception, drawing on her extensive expertise in gender-lens innovation, social innovation, and impact strategy.

Stav’s impact was evident across all facets of the WCC program:

Strategic and Content Design: Stav spearheaded the network’s strategic design and content development, including the entire structure of the online learning sessions and the intensive three-day summit.

Engagement and Facilitation: She was a key facilitator for many of the sessions, actively guiding the knowledge exchange and collaborative process.

Partnership Building: Stav was instrumental in spearheading partnership-building efforts with crucial global and regional stakeholders, including the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, MENA 2030, and the Abraham Women’s Alliance.

The gathering focused on sharing best practices in civil society changemaking and creating a platform for collective action, highlighting the unique power of women to lead with empathy, authenticity, and courage.

As Stav Bar-Shany, one of the event’s co-leaders, stated, “Women in civil society are uniquely positioned to collaborate across borders and show that a more connected MENA region is possible.”

Her vision underscores the critical importance of women’s agency in addressing shared social challenges and driving impact throughout the region.

  

The full agenda:

6:00pm Reception and Networking.

7:00pm Greeting Notes.

7:15pm Keynote “Women’s Leadership and the Next Phase of the Abraham Accords: Shaping the Future of the Region" featuring: Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Co-Founder of Co-Founder of UAE-Israel Business Council and Gulf Israel Women’s Forum.  

7:25pm Introducing: Women Champions for Change Stav Bar Shany, Co-Creator, WCC.

7:40pm “Inspiring Stories of Female Leadership Creating Meaningful Change” Donna Orender, Founder, Generation W | Former President, WNBA (USA), Nazanin Afshin-Jam Mackay, Human Rights Advocate (Iran/Canada), Heidi Basch-Harod, Executive Director, Women’s Voices Now (USA) and Ulfat Haider Founder and Director, ULFA, Peace Maker Based in Nature (Israel).

8:10pm “Marking Women Changemakers: Voice, Vision & Action”: Panel Discussion.

 8:30pm close.