Event Date & Time: October 10, 2026, at 4:00 PM (Africa/Addis Ababa time)
Registration Deadline: Not specified in the provided announcement (register early to save your spot)
About the Summit
An upcoming global virtual gathering designed to bring together young people and youth leaders to explore leadership, gender justice, social change, and the future of youth-led movements is the Rise to Lead: Girl Up 2026 Global Leadership Summit. Organized by Girl Up, the virtual summit will take place on October 10, 2026, at 4:00 PM (Africa/Addis Ababa time), offering young people around the world the opportunity to hear directly from youth leaders and changemakers, participate in cross-generational dialogue, discover new perspectives on leadership, and connect with a global youth community committed to gender equality. The event is particularly relevant for young people who want to understand what leadership should look like in today’s rapidly changing world and how they can contribute to movements advancing gender equality and social change. Importantly, participants do not need to be current Girl Up leaders or Girl Up Club members. The summit is open to young people aged 13 to 24 who are interested in leadership, creating change, or connecting with the broader Girl Up community.
About the Rise to Lead Global Leadership Summit
Leadership is changing, particularly within youth-led movements. Active roles in addressing issues affecting their communities, advocating for gender equality, building organizations, developing campaigns, and creating new approaches to social change are increasingly being taken by young people around the world. The Rise to Lead summit is designed around this changing understanding of leadership. Rather than focusing only on traditional ideas of leadership, an important question is invited to be considered by the event: What kind of leadership does the movement for gender justice need right now, and what role can young people play in shaping what comes next? A space for young people to listen, learn, exchange ideas, and connect with others who are interested in gender justice and youth leadership will be created by the summit. Through conversations involving youth voices and different generations, the opportunity to explore how leadership can be practiced in different ways and how young people can contribute to movements for meaningful change will be offered to participants.
What Is Girl Up?
A global movement focused on supporting young people and advancing gender equality is Girl Up. Young leaders who are interested in creating change and addressing issues affecting girls and women are brought together by its community. Part of Girl Up’s broader leadership and community-building activities is the Rise to Lead Global Leadership Summit, and the organization’s 2026 Summit Series will be launched by it. Not only as a standalone global gathering but also as the beginning of a wider series of leadership events taking place in different regions around the world will the virtual event therefore serve.
What Can Participants Expect?
A dynamic one-hour virtual event featuring youth voices, conversations across generations, new ideas, and opportunities for global connection is planned as the Rise to Lead summit.
Focus on several interconnected areas can be expected by participants from the program.
- Youth Leadership: At the center of the summit is youth leadership. The opportunity to hear from other youth leaders and changemakers and to explore how young people are contributing to social movements and creating change within their communities will be available to young people. Recognition that young people are not simply future leaders they are already participating in movements and initiatives that influence communities and conversations around the world is given by the event.
- Gender Justice: A major focus of the summit is gender justice. The role that leadership can play in advancing gender equality and addressing challenges affecting girls and young women will be explored by participants. An opportunity for young people interested in gender justice to connect with others who share an interest in creating more equitable communities and systems is provided by the summit.
- Conversations Across Generations: Another important component of the event is the opportunity to engage with perspectives from different generations. Benefit from conversations between people with different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives can be gained by leadership and social change. Youth voices and broader leadership perspectives will be brought together by the summit to encourage discussion about what effective leadership looks like today and how movements can continue to grow.
- New Ideas and Perspectives: The opportunity to discover new ideas surrounding leadership and social change will also be available to participants. Encouragement for young people to think about leadership beyond conventional definitions and to consider different ways they can contribute to their communities and movements is intended by the summit.
- Global Connection: Because the summit is virtual and designed as a global event, connection with young people from different parts of the world can be made by participants. An opportunity to learn about different experiences, perspectives, challenges, and approaches to gender justice and youth leadership is created by this. For young people interested in international communities and youth movements, an important part of the experience can be the global nature of the event.
Who Can Participate in the Girl Up 2026 Summit?
Specifically designed for young people aged 13 to 24 is the event.
One of the important features of the opportunity is that participants do not need to have an existing connection with Girl Up.
Participation is possible even if you:
• Are not currently a Girl Up Club member
• Have never participated in a Girl Up program
• Are not currently a youth leader
• Are interested in developing your leadership skills
• Want to learn more about gender justice
• Are interested in creating positive change
• Want to connect with other young people globally
• Are considering becoming part of the Girl Up community
That young people who are interested in leadership, creating change, or becoming part of the Girl Up community are welcome to participate is specifically stated in the announcement.
Is the Summit Open to Young People Outside the United States?
Yes. Presented as a global virtual leadership summit, with young people from around the world invited to participate, is the event. A specific country or continental restriction is not identified in the announcement. Any race or ethnicity restriction is also not stated. Because the summit is virtual, joining from their respective countries is possible for eligible participants as long as they meet the stated age requirement and can participate in the online event. Potentially accessible to young people across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Oceania, and other regions around the world is this summit. Registration can be considered by young people in countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries, provided they meet the event requirements. However, because a formal country-by-country eligibility list is not provided in the announcement, reliance on the official registration information for any additional participation requirements should be placed by applicants.
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