Discover inspiring storytellers who will captivate you with their powerful narratives, sharing unique experiences and insights that spark imagination and ignite change
At FOW 2026, the Storytelling Session will serve as a powerful platform to spotlight diverse voices and lived experiences that shape feminist movements, community resilience, and inclusive futures. Aligned with the theme of the conference, this session will bring together authors, poets, activists, indigenous knowledge holders, and creative practitioners to share stories of empowerment, resistance, identity, and transformation
Join us at FOW 2026 for a moving and transformative storytelling experience, where global voices come together to inspire feminist solidarity, amplify unheard stories, and build inclusive, empowered futures.
Seroshi Nandasiri is a nationally recognised social change entrepreneur, development strategist, and gender equality advocate whose work has reshaped women’s empowerment in Sri Lanka. She is the Founder and Chair of the Women’s International Foundation (WIF), a national-level social service organisation advancing women’s economic, social, and leadership opportunities. She is also the Co-Founder and Director of the Imperial Institute of Leadership & Strategy (IILS), Sri Lanka’s emerging center of excellence for leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurship, driving national transformation through education, capacity building, and mentorship.
Seroshi turned her personal adversity into purpose. Her lived resilience fuels her mission to uplift women facing economic and social marginalisation. Through WIF, she has empowered hundreds of women entrepreneurs, helping them rebuild livelihoods, gain confidence, and contribute to families and communities. Her pioneering initiative, Dear Father, engages men as allies, challenging entrenched gender norms and fostering inclusive partnerships. WIF’s work under her leadership led to its recognition as one of Sri Lanka’s first members of the UNFPA Equity 2030 Alliance.
Over the past five years, Seroshi has spoken to over 50,000 people and reached millions more through mainstream media, breaking stereotypes and inspiring systemic change. Beyond her social impact, she is a distinguished development sector consultant with expertise in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), SME development, and strategic marketing. Her consultancy includes roles with UNDP, Sri Lanka, Deloitte–PARTNER Project, Palladium Group’s MDF–Australian Aid Project, where she co-developed the 2022–2025 Strategic Action Plan for Sri Lanka Tourism and contributed to global communication campaign, partnering with institutions such as World Bank, ADB and the European Union.
With over 18 years of professional experience, Seroshi has held senior leadership roles across corporate, public, and development sectors, including MAS Intimates, CA Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, and Colombo School of Business & Management. She began her career at Hayleys Group, gaining cross-sector exposure that strengthened her strategic versatility.
Academically distinguished, Seroshi holds a First-Class Honours degree in Marketing Management from University of Sri J’pura (University Gold Medalist), an MSc in Marketing with Distinction from University of Hertfordshire, UK, professional qualifications from CIMA and CIM, and executive education from the National University of Singapore. She is an Eisenhower Fellow (2024), Salzburg Global Fellow, and recipient of multiple national awards for women’s empowerment, MSME leadership, and social impact.
Strategic, authentic, and visionary, Seroshi Nandasiri has emerged as both a national brand and a transformative leader, one who converts adversity into action, men into allies, and vision into lasting social change.
Title: Women Love to Tell Stories, but Their Lives still Suffer: News from Tiktok in Indonesia
Kalis Mardiasih is a prominent Muslim writer and youth activist from Yogyakarta, Indonesia, known for her advocacy on diversity, gender equality, and progressive Islamic discourse. She is a regular opinion columnist for several leading digital media platforms, including detik.com, Indonesia’s largest online news outlet.
Kalis is a member of the Gusdurian National Network, a civil society movement inspired by the values and legacy of former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, promoting pluralism, democracy, and social justice. She has also been active in various student and civil society organizations, including the Islamic Students Association in Surakarta, and is affiliated with Pengurus Besar Nahdlatul Ulama, one of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organizations.
Her work focuses on gender justice, religious tolerance, and youth empowerment. She writes extensively on women’s rights and religious perspectives in local newspapers and national online platforms and contributes to initiatives that advocate for the rights and welfare of women and children.
Kalis earned her degree from Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta and is the author of three widely-read books: Muslimah yang Diperdebatkan (2019), Hijrah Jangan Jauh-Jauh, Nanti Nyasar! (2019), and Sister Fillah, You’ll Never Be Alone (2020). Her writings, which blend Islamic thought with feminist perspectives, have resonated strongly with young Muslim audiences across Indonesia.
Title: Deserting patriarchy: women and men for a new freedom
Monica Lanfranco is an Italian journalist, blogger, trainer and founder of the feminist quarterly “Marea” in 1994. She is the creator of the Radio Delle Donne podcast channel, has taught new media theory and technique at the University of Parma, and has been running the feminist training and seminar center, Altradimora, since 2008. Monica is also a book author, and her latest book, “Crescere uomini-le parole dei ragazzi su sessualità, pornografia, sessismo” (Growing up as a man: Teenagers’ words about sexuality, pornography and sexism), was published by Erickson in 2019.
Title: Women’s Movement Activists Against Violence: Stories of Resistance, Resilience and Survival
Dr. Kalyani Menon-Sen is a feminist researcher and activist whose has been working for over twenty¬-five years on issues of women’s rights, particularly the impacts of neoliberal economic policies on women. She has contributed to critiques of economic policies and policy-making processes, and has been active in initiatives to build economic literacy for women workers and women farmers. She has written and campaigned on issues of violence against women, particularly state violence and its linkage with economic policies. She has researched and written on issues of safety, dignity and rights of women in the workplace and has supported a range of organisations in setting up systems for prevention and action on sexual harassment. Kalyani has a long association with UNDP and its gender mainstreaming journey. As a Gender At Work Associate, she has worked with UN agencies, think-tanks and research groups, development agencies, community groups and women’s movement organisations to design and facilitate action-learning initiatives and systems change processes.
Anne Pakoa is a prominent human rights advocate and development leader from Vanuatu, with over 22 years of experience in NGO management, research, advocacy, and policy development. She is the Founder and CEO of the Vanuatu Human Rights Coalition, as well as the Founder and Technical Advisor of Vanuatu Young Women for Change and Anne’s Community Health Services. Additionally, she serves as Co-Founder and Technical Advisor at the Vatu Mauri Consortium (VMC).
In her current role as Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at VMC, Ms. Pakoa contributes to strengthening organizational accountability and impact measurement. Throughout her career, she has served as an individual consultant and led numerous initiatives focused on gender equality, youth empowerment, and community health. Her leadership and tireless dedication have positioned her as a key figure in Vanuatu’s civil society and human rights landscape.
Marta Lempart is a prominent Polish activist, lawyer, and journalist widely recognized for her tireless advocacy for women’s rights, particularly in the areas of reproductive justice, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights. She is one of the founding leaders of the Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet (All-Poland Women’s Strike), a grassroots feminist movement that gained international attention for its mass protests against restrictive abortion laws in Poland.
Lempart first entered public life as a civil servant under Poland’s former liberal administration and later worked in real estate development. Her activism, however, brought her to the forefront of national and international discussions on human rights. In 2018, she launched the #GirlsDoWybory campaign, aimed at increasing the participation and representation of women in local governance. She has also run for both local and European parliamentary elections, centering her campaigns on issues of gender equality, the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities.
In 2020, during the height of nationwide protests against the tightening of abortion laws, Lempart became a global symbol of feminist resistance. Her outspoken stance and leadership were widely recognized, earning her a place on the Financial Times list of the world’s 20 most influential women.
Openly identifying as a lesbian, Lempart uses her platform to challenge systemic discrimination and advocate for a more inclusive society. Her social media presence and public statements continue to highlight critical issues affecting women’s health, safety, and autonomy in Poland and beyond.
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