One Young World 2026

For the third consecutive year, Nobel Women's Initiative is bringing a delegation of Sister-to-Sister Program alumni and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to the One Young World Summit, this year in Cape Town, South Africa, to amplify feminist leadership and elevate the voices of women human rights defenders from conflict-affected regions.

Introduction

The One Young World (OYW) Summit is a premier global forum bringing together over 2,000 of the world's brightest young leaders from 190+ countries to accelerate social impact and sustainable change. It convenes youth activists, business leaders, heads of state, Nobel Laureates, and human rights defenders to collaborate on the world's most pressing issues.

NWI's participation in OYW 2026 will leverage this significant gathering to amplify feminist leadership, center advocacy efforts by women human rights defenders, and support the capacity and visibility of emerging women leaders from conflict-affected regions including Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, Lebanon, North Nigeria, and Honduras.

NWI Context

For the second year in a row, Nobel Women’s Initiative will join the One Young World Summit alongside Nobel Peace Prize laureates Maria Ressa and Tawakkol Karman, young activists, and staff to spotlight feminist leadership in times of crisis and elevate women human rights defenders on the global stage. Building on the voices of Sister-to-Sister program alumni, our participation will amplify the experiences of young women leaders from South Sudan, DRC, Yemen, and Myanmar, while also drawing urgent attention to the repression of women and human rights defenders in Iran. By carrying these struggles into a space that convenes global changemakers, our engagement at OYW will center feminist perspectives and demand bold, collective action for justice, equality, and peace.

Key Messages

• Women leaders in conflict-affected regions are not victims, they are essential actors in building peace, justice, and democracy. 

• Feminist leadership is a transformative approach to crisis, rooted in resilience, inclusion, and collective action. 

• Sustainable peace requires centering the voices and leadership of women and youth. 

• The global community must act to free imprisoned laureate Narges Mohammadi and end repression of women human rights defenders in Iran. #FreeNarges 

• The Sister-to-Sister Program demonstrates how investing in young women leaders transforms communities and builds intergenerational feminist leadership. 

NWI Participants

Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Philippines)  

Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (Yemen)   

Kathy Terry, Sister-to-Sister Alumni Program Advisor

Bill Omondi, Communications Coordinator, NWI  

Dildar Kaya, Advocacy Coordinator, NWI

Featured Sister-to-Sister Alumni Activists

Adela Moncada Sueiras (Honduras) 

Lawyer specializing in human rights, with experience across the public sector, judiciary, and civil society based in Honduras. My work focuses on gender justice, democratic governance, and access to justice through strategic litigation, legal research, and documentation of human rights violations. I have supported national and international efforts through roles at institutions such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and human rights organizations, strengthening my expertise in international legal standards and advocacy. I am also an alumni of the Sister-to-Sister Program by the Nobel Women's Initiative and the International Human Rights Training Program by Equitas. 

Andrea Rosales (Honduras) 

Andrea is a Honduran communications specialist, human rights advocate, and documentary filmmaker with over four years of experience in feminist advocacy and strategic communications. Her work focuses on human rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and feminist climate justice, while her filmmaking explores film as a way to remember, reclaim stories, and imagine new futures. A 2023 Sister-to-Sister alumna of the Nobel Women’s Initiative and the Coady Institute, Andrea is part of Latinas por el Clima and serves on Honduras’ first United Nations Youth Advisory Council. In 2026, her documentary short Cartography of What Persists won Euro CineLab and is now making its way through international film festivals. 
 
Andrea is most excited to bring a Central American perspective to One Young World, connect with young leaders from across the world working toward similar goals, and explore how storytelling and collective action contribute to more just and hopeful futures. 

Aishatu Kabu (Nigeria)

Aishatu Kabu is a Nigerian civil society activist and the Founder and Executive Director of Zenith of the Girl Child and Women Initiative Support (ZEGCAWIS) based in Nigeria. She founded ZEGCAWIS, an organization advocating for girl-child education and influencing policies in favour of women and girls, with interests in gender, social and economic justice. She is a committed activist passionate about citizen participatory democracy, the rights, education and empowerment of women and girls. 

Fanna Abdu Muhammad (Faany) (Nigeria) 

Fanna is a Women Peace and Security advocate, a researcher, and an individual mentor from Maiduguri, Nigeria. She’s passionate about contributing to efforts that promote peacebuilding, and community resilience, understanding different perspectives through meaningful conversations, enjoys learning about people’s experiences and engaging in things that contribute to growth and positive impact.

Grace Chilongo (Malawi) 

Grace Chilongo is a Malawian climate and environmental researcher, feminist leader and youth advocate working at the intersection of gender equality, climate justice and sustainable development. She is the founder of Youth Empowerment and Environmental Management (YEEM), where she supports youth- and community-led initiatives focused on climate resilience, sustainable energy, environmental restoration and inclusive development.

Her work combines participatory research, community knowledge and policy advocacy to address environmental risks and strengthen disaster preparedness. She has also led research on gender-responsive climate-smart agriculture in Malawi, championing policies and programs that recognise women farmers’ knowledge, experiences and leadership.

Through her engagement in environmental governance and international youth networks, Grace advocates for meaningful youth participation, intergenerational solidarity and the leadership of young women in shaping a more just and sustainable future. She is committed to ensuring that the voices and experiences of communities most affected by climate change are heard in the decisions that shape their lives.