Launched in March 2025, by Ximena Sarahi Sandoval Fuentes (ALP ‘25), Global Women is a virtual event series led in Spanish. It was created to address a persistent gap: the absence of women’s voices in decision-making spaces, particularly in rural and marginalized communities across Latin America. For the team behind Global Women, empowering women isn’t just a goal, it’s a movement to redefine leadership from the ground up.
Drawing inspiration from the women of Santiago Ixcuintla (a town in Mexico) who are leaders in their homes, guardians of cultural heritage, and champions of community well-being, Global Women set out to build the skills and networks needed to turn everyday leadership into lasting impact.
A Network Rooted in Purpose
In its inaugural edition, Global Women reached 100 participants from 11 countries across the region, including Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, El Salvador, and Paraguay. Each of these women brought unique experiences, but a shared ambition to lead, advocate, and drive change.
Through training sessions focused on international representation, communication in high-stakes spaces, profile development, and NGO creation, the program equipped participants with the tools they need to grow from local changemakers into global actors.
Even more powerful? Many participants didn’t just take notes, they took action. Projects like Red de Mujeres Líderes (Network of Women Leaders), Kasikay Ñan Corporation, and Mujeres Cambiando el Futuro (Women Changing the Future) are already gaining traction in their home countries, seeded by the mentorship and guidance provided through Global Women.
Overcoming Barriers, Building Belonging
Running a multi-country training program came with challenges, from time zone coordination to supporting participants with disabilities. But with the support of young women-led organizations like Climática, Guerrero Sostenible, and Virtuous Women International, the team met those obstacles with creativity and compassion. Three young women and three girls from Mexican communities even stepped in as moderators, helping bridge generations and regions through peer-to-peer leadership.
Heartfelt testimonials from participants speak volumes. “They motivated us to fight for our dreams and gave us essential tools to forge our path,” said Sofía Mirtala Martínez Guardado of El Salvador. “I leave with a heart full of experiences and motivation,” shared Lucy Yanira Guerra Díaz from Colombia.
Looking Ahead
“The Aspire Leaders Program helped me shape this project. And it was my fellow cohort members who helped spread the word to women across 10 countries.”
The first edition may have ended, but the journey is just beginning. The Global Women team is now preparing a second edition for this summer, including an in-person component focused on communities without reliable internet access.
For the founder, none of this would have been possible without Aspire Institute as it was her fellow Aspire Leaders Program cohort members who helped spread the word among women in 10 countries.
From 100 women to a continent-wide network, Global Women is doing more than training leaders, it’s rewriting the narrative of who gets to lead.
