Despite various flagship schemes carried out for the cause of Women empowerment

around the world, the Co-operatives model stands out as one enduring even during
times of crisis. Therefore in our collective push to propel Women Co-operatives movement forward to greater heights, and to truly change the world of cooperation, we invite the global community in all its expression to join us at this historic event from the 9th – 12th February, 2026.
The goal of the Conference is to promote Women Co-operatives’ empowering role in Women’s lives and communities throughout the world and to recognize its value, raise its visibility, and establish its place as a leading form of Women-owned business. It is meant to accelerate its growth and development and ensure its integration into local, national, and international development policies and programs that address Women’s empowerment. The Conference represents a milestone for a season of initiatives that will be launched to raise awareness as the overall confidence index of Women participation in Co-operatives is expected to rise significantly thereby motivating more Women to join Co-operatives and see it not just as a realistic and pragmatic business model but also as a form of social protection.

Women are the heart of the Co-operative movement and its future depends on the
opportunity it gives Women and Girls for greater prosperity. This Conference will reengineer Women’s Co-operatives around the world to become more commercially viable, competitive, socially inclusive, sustainable and result-oriented; repositioning the Co-operatives for distinguishing performance and ensure its most advantageous fit for business and for associated public sector investment and support. Women remain a key demographic to unlocking billions in new revenue in the Co-operative sector and the overall aim of this Conference is to unlock new levels of growth for Women Co-operatives and expand the Co-operatives’ empowerment opportunities it currently affords Women. Women Co-operatives constitute 25% of the total number of Women-owned SMEs in the world over and the Conference
outcomes can translate into increased earnings (income) Women Co-operatives
cannot afford to ignore especially, as the global Co-operatives value is expected to
reach USD $3 trillion by 2030 providing numerous and enormous economic opportunities that Women can capture.
As the United Nations proclaims 2025 as another International Year of Cooperatives, it is indeed fitting for this magnitude of Conference to bring to a close the International Year of Co-operatives. Women Co-operatives are playing a leading role in this critical moment for humanity, where there are enormous social, economic, and environmental challenges that urgently need to be overcome. Also, the social connection Women Co-operative provides have become very relevant to Women’s health and wellbeing and is a vital lifeline for millions across the world before, during and after the pandemic. 

This Conference will deliver a comprehensive spectrum of content, and business
development opportunities while providing the platform to significantly review progress on the state of Women’s Co-operatives and highlight their vast socioeconomic contributions to Women’s livelihoods as well as provide insights on the factors driving and inhibiting their advancement. The Women Co-operatives World Conference is also aimed at becoming a spring-board for action where ideas will be born, nurtured, and transformed into impactful solutions in addressing the myriads of challenges bedeviling the sector and tracking the national progress of Women Cooperatives and businesses across the world, representing 20% of the global Cooperative movement.
The Conference will bring about a marked difference in the activities of Women Cooperatives going forward and remarkably around the Women Co-operatives sector sustainably and resoundingly, enhancing the work of Women Co-operatives and build a new style and modern model of cooperation that goes beyond the traditional Co-operative model. Women Co-operatives is a significant part of the global Co-operative movement but there are very few programs that show Women exist in the Co-operative movement. When asked how many Women Cooperatives exist in the world, there is no clear answer, only rough and incomplete estimates as thousands of Women Co-operatives around the world remain invisible
in official Co-operative data and statistics. Therefore this Conference will accurately
demonstrate the economic, social, and demographic power of the Women’s Cooperative model, and why statistics on Women’s Co-operatives must improve as it is of global significance in the area of promoting gender equality and Women empowerment in Co-operatives.

It will also give a massive boost to the International Day of Action for Women Cooperatives observed every October 17th as Women’s active participation is the language and tradition the Co-operative movement must promote in order to thrive (remain relevant) throughout the twenty-first century. Women Co-operatives World Conference provides the opportunity to promote useful networks and synergy among Women Co-operatives from across the world as they build a better future for Women. We are about to set a New Guinness World Record for the largest Women-owned Business gatherings in the world, as the Conference provides the
opportunity to re-invent democratic self-help for the 21st century.
It is in this context that She-Coops in collaboration with other partners is organizing
the first-ever Women Co-operatives World Conference to strengthen the cords of
cooperation and solidarity among Women Co-operatives effectively and efficiently for
a better world. We welcome, appreciate, and gratefully acknowledge the support of
Women Co-operatives from around the world for the Conference as it is designed to
equip and offer participants with valuable insights and ideas to drive sustainable
growth and profitability within the Cooperative sector.

Women Co-operatives are an economic example found in every part of the world,  especially in its rural communities where they are formed to meet Women’s social and economic needs, fostering sustainable livelihoods among members with a determination to push back the frontiers of poverty and attain self-reliance through self-help. Women Co-operatives have been a quintessential foothold in the economy for Women and have continued to inspire legions of Women across the world onto the ladder of economic activities where they gain new skills and training, access higher quality raw materials and encourage savings. They are uniquely positioned institutions that keep the doors of empowerment and opportunity open for
Women and can rapidly enhance a Woman’s dignity/ quality of life.
As social conditions worsen around the world, evidence abounds to show the invaluable contributions Women Co-operatives are making to Women’s economic security, well-being, and happiness. Millions of Women are being empowered through Co-operatives daily around the world, raising their incomes, becoming self-reliant, and in the process overcoming stereotypes. Co-operatives are humanity’s most effective tool for Women’s development and empowerment.