Nuturing a generation of women

leaders.

OUR VISION

A diverse, inclusive and equitable industry, with women represented and supported at all stages and functions of their careers.

OUR MISSION

Democratising the international industry, equipping women with the tools and capital to thrive in their international careers.

Our Story

Sparked by a small idea sparked in 2016, a few months after our founder Demiladé graduated from her Master's degree, with a passion for an international career that made a positive impact on the world. As countless other job seekers and entry level candidates have faced, limited insights and contacts made it a challenge to get her first job.

Demiladé's experiences fuelled our very first mentorship scheme in 2018, and fast forward to today, everything we do is rooted in her belief that social capital is key to building an international career. Since our formation in 2017, we've become the world's leading digital social enterprise tackling gender and youth inequality in the international affairs industry. We have grown from a small LinkedIn group into a dedicated global network with thousands of members across the globe who have access to mentorship, expertise, training, advice and jobs.

READ OUR MANIFESTO

An industry problem. And we're here to solve it.

SUPPORT OUR MISSION

Our Principles

Our work, mission and values are grounded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's).

Equal access to relevant training

We believe that to compete on the international stage and secure decent job opportunities, women need equal access to knowledge, resources and institutions. We want to see more young women and entry level candidates develop and refine their technical and vocational skills, and for training, education, mentorship to continue throughout a woman’s career.

Empowerment and Mentorship

WIAN supports the next generation of female professionals, leaders and world changers from the beginning of their careers and well on into the future. We believe that by mentoring and empowering young women with the necessary skills to pursue job opportunities in the world’s leading institutions and organisations, we can create a network of strong, competent and qualified women who will change the world.

Quality entry-level opportunities

We believe that there should be more opportunities for young people in international affairs. In an ever-globalised world, the voices of the upcoming generation need to be heard and recognised. We lobby charities, international institutions, non-governmental organisations and other international players to create more entry-level opportunities to give young people the experience they need to build their careers and to create more sustained opportunities for women.

Diversity and Representation

One of the most exciting aspects of working in international affairs is the opportunity to work in a variety of interesting sectors, the top international institutions and get involved in decision making that has a global impact. These opportunities should be afforded to women from diverse walks, regions and experience. We are committed to seeing more women from diverse regions represented in the most important global organisations and institutions.

Diverse career opportunities

For societies to create safe, inclusive and accessible spaces, they will need more women and young people contributing to their development. At WIAN, as well as careers in policy, advocacy and campaigning, we want to see more women in vocational professions, such as disaster management, urban planning, engineering and architecture. We believe by reflecting women’s underrepresented voices in these sectors, society will have more accessible infrastructure which pays special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations.

Equal representation at all levels

Many candidates pursuing opportunities in international affairs seek careers in international and public institutions, such as the United Nations and national governmental departments. We believe that in order for policies to promote inclusivity and sustainability, there should be a proportionate representation of women across all decision-making levels. International organisations will need to do more to engage with and create opportunities for female applicants, especially at the beginning stages of their careers, and well on into the mid-to-senior level.

Respect for Global Perspectives

Much work remains to be done in the international sector to increase the diversity of women from under-represented regions and geographies. Our organisation, team and network spans the globe and aims to reflect and uplift the voices of women from all across the world, including Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Here at WIAN, we promote an open, universal and non-discriminatory perception of the world, and respect diverse perspectives to engender better understanding, cooperation and partnership.