Global First Partners Academy 2025: First Ladies discuss youth, health, and leadership

From 7 to 10 July 2025, the third Global First Partners Academy took place at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York, organised by the Global First Ladies Alliance (GFLA). The high-level event gathered 15 First Partners and leaders from 13 countries, representing more than 560 million people, to strengthen leadership skills, exchange experiences, and explore new forms of international cooperation under the theme “Preparing the Youth for the Future.”

The Academy became a space for candid dialogue and shared learning on pressing global issues — from youth empowerment and education to women’s health, food security, and the responsible use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. Among this year’s programme highlights were sessions on improving women’s health through AI-powered tools, supporting young people in an age of rapid change, and developing personal leadership styles within the role of a First Lady or Gentleman.

Participants included Anna Hakobyan (Armenia), Rossana Briceño (Belize), Dr Lucrecia Peinado (Guatemala), Maricel Cohen de Mulino (Panama), Monica Chakwera (Malawi), Gueta Chapo (Mozambique), Oluremi Tinubu (Nigeria), and Fatima Maada Bio (Sierra Leone), among others. Many of them are also active members of international networks such as OAFLAD (Organisation of African First Ladies for Development), SCLAN (Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network), ALMA (Alliance of Spouses of Heads of State and Representatives of Latin America), and the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform — demonstrating the growing interconnection of regional and global initiatives led by First Ladies and Gentlemen.

Throughout the Academy, participants exchanged experiences on building sustainable social platforms that can endure beyond political transitions, expanding access to HPV vaccination, and using innovation to advance public health. In her remarks, H.E. Dr Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of Sierra Leone, underscored the collective power of the group:

“We are more than First Ladies — we are first Advocates, Responders, Partners, in the fight for dignity, justice, and equality. When we act together, we can amplify impact and extend our reach.”

Education and youth development were central to the discussions. H.E. Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of Nigeria, shared insights from Nigeria’s youth education initiatives, noting:

“We cannot wait for the future to happen; we must shape it now.”

Another key outcome of this year’s Academy was the creation of a new Alumni and Former First Partners Network, designed to foster ongoing collaboration beyond official mandates and ensure that knowledge and experience are passed on to new generations of leaders.

The gathering concluded with a joint call to action: First Ladies and Gentlemen from across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe signed a letter to the GAVI Board, urging immediate access to the most effective HPV vaccines for eligible countries. This united step reaffirmed the Academy’s role in translating shared priorities into coordinated global advocacy.

Events like the Global First Partners Academy play an important role in public diplomacy and in strengthening the international voice of First Ladies and Gentlemen as agents of positive change. Through leadership development, peer exchange, and collaboration across borders, such platforms help ensure that the influence of First Partners extends beyond protocol — shaping global conversations on equity, health, and opportunity.