Founded in 2015 by Masdar and the Zayed Sustainability Prize, WiSER is born out of the UAE leadership’s longstanding and continuing commitment to the role of women; a commitment that reflects the vision of the late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
WiSER focuses on education, engagement and empowerment by providing women with leadership training, sustainability knowledge and opportunities to connect with global leaders to address gender and sustainability challenges.
WiSER is aligned closely with the UAE’s broader vision of driving inclusive action and promoting gender equity, by championing women’s leadership in critical sectors such as renewable energy, the environment and sustainable development.
Recognizing that women account for less than 25 percent of the global workforce in key sustainability areas, WiSER is committed to providing women with the skills, knowledge and platforms needed to lead and contribute to a sustainable and equitable future.
The WiSER Advisory Council comprises global policymakers, business leaders and influential figures who provide strategic direction and guidance on WiSER initiatives to enhance the participation of women in the sustainability industry.
UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Chairman of Masdar
Head of the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, Chief Executive Officer, 2PointZero
Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, and Envoy of the Foreign Minister to the European Union
President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Managing Director of Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
Permanent Representative of the UAE to IRENA
CEO COP28 Office, Senior Research Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center
CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy
Registrar and Chief Executive at ADGM Courts
Managing Partner, EcoPragma Capital & Chief Executive Officer, Liebreich Associates
Board Director for Renewable Energy Group, ITC Holdings and XL FLeet
Chief Executive Officer at Clean Cooking Alliance
CEO Energy Nexus Network, Former U.N. Under Secretary General and Special Representative For Sustainable Energy for All and Director General of UNIDO
professional young women representing 30+ nationalities have graduated from the WiSER Pioneers Program
influential figures have been convened by WiSER to advance gender parity and sustainability
one-to-one mentoring has been provided to young women to become sustainability leaders.
of workshops have been conducted with WiSER Pioneers
WiSER takes place at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and promotes thought leadership through its Annual Forum, which has to date brought together over 4,000 influential figures to address global issues, while year-round it fosters dialogue through WiSER’s key pillars, including thought leadership, personal and professional development, and community engagement.
Drawing together experts from the UAE and abroad, the WiSER Wisdom Series provides a platform for discussing urgent sustainability issues. Previous discussions have covered topics such as biodiversity conservation and how women entrepreneurs can be part of the post-pandemic green recovery.
The year-long WiSER Pioneers Program offers young women aged 25 to 35 access to educational workshops, mentorship and global networking opportunities with industry experts. The program provides women with the skills and knowledge needed to become sustainability leaders. Interested in applying? Find out if you are eligible for the next application cycle.
The WiSER Mentorship Program is open to women enrolled in the WiSER Pioneers Program. Its purpose is to aid career progression by providing one-to-one mentoring sessions with senior industry figures. The sessions focus on goal setting, skills-building, and preparing participants for leadership roles.
If you wish to volunteer as a mentor, please register your interest with the WiSER team and tell us your designation, the number of years of experience you have, and what you hope to offer as a mentor.
At WiSER, engagement lies at the heart of our field trips and high-level forums, where women can increase their sustainability knowledge and build connections. Empowerment drives our events, where global influential leaders gather to find solutions to gender and sustainability issues.
The WiSER Cares program aims to strengthen leadership cultural exchange with hands-on sustainability experience. WiSER Pioneers have been taken on field trips to increase their sustainability knowledge and build partnerships. Recent trips include spending time living with, and learning from, a rural, off-grid community in Rwanda; visiting Morocco to understand more about adaptive agriculture; and advancing knowledge on energy transformation, community resilience and innovation in Indonesia.
This quarterly e-newsletter is filled with updates about WiSER’s achievements and developments. The newsletter contains stories and statistics about WiSER’s impact and encourages readers to continue to champion women as agents of sustainable change.
Through its campaigns, WiSER aims to recognize and empower women’s efforts to build a more sustainable future, and position women of all nationalities as drivers of change and innovation, whether on issues of policy, technology or business. By championing innovators, we inspire the next generation of women leaders and pioneers in the field of sustainability.
This quarterly e-newsletter is filled with updates about WiSER’s achievements and developments. The newsletter contains stories and statistics about WiSER’s impact and encourages readers to continue to champion women as agents of sustainable change.
The WiSER platform welcomes the support of organizations from all sectors. If you are interested in collaborating with WiSER, please contact the WiSER team.
