As a community of practice and action for the implementation of SDG 5 "Gender Equality" the members of the Gender Alliance work across networks.

The idea for the Gender Alliance was born out of a BMW Foundation gathering in Brazil in June 2018, with several leaders identifying a growing need to address the gender disparity and exclusion. At the 6th BMW Foundation World Responsible Leaders Forum in Mexico, 2019 the Gender Alliance was shaped.
The product was enthusiasm, commitment and the momentum that resulted in the a Feminist Manifesto to guide the work. Before the close of 2020, the Alliance had conducted a first Summit, highlighting important gender-based issues.

The Alliance is now a cross-network movement, bringing together feminists from the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt's Responsible Leaders Network, the Global Diplomacy Lab, the Bosch Alumni Network and Global Leadership Academy Community. All members work probono and are creating their own workstreams of collaboration.

The Manifesto is a co-created declaration that articulates the agenda of the Gender Alliance as well as our call to action:

1. We are promoters of gender equality. In each of our respective roles, personal, family, professional, as members of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders Network, we push for a Feminist Agenda to foster gender equity and work actively in closing gender gaps in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5.

2. We advocate for a gender inclusion perspective. With the aspiration, as articulated in the 2030 Agenda that no one is to be left behind, we affirm that women must have more spaces of representation and participation in contributing to the realization of the 17 SDGs.

3. We champion gender equality regardless of sexual identity. The gender issue is one that masculine, feminine, common, and neutral involving persons of all ages who must be actively engaged to close the gender gaps.

4. We support each other as Responsible Leaders. We encourage each other in the suggestion and scale up of ideas to achieve gender equity.

5. We aim to foster an empathetic approach to feminism. We acknowledge beginning without a common understanding and strive to create a broader foundation to include others without prejudice.

6. We call for an agenda to make the next decade a transformative one to achieve feminist goals. We strive in a transversal way to reach a comprehensive understanding of gender equity that is cross-cutting, diverse, intercultural, and interdisciplinary.

7. We believe that gender balance in all sectors is one of the main keys to transforming the current economic systems, which are broken, by leveraging the complementarity of skills and perspectives among diverse genders.

8. It is our goal to engage with a gender focus throughout 2020 and beyond when hiring, developing new programs, and initiating projects, in funding and other areas of work to accelerate closing the gender gap.

9. We nurture an understanding of gender equity that is cross-cutting, interdisciplinary, and holistic with awareness of religious pluralism, social prejudice against the disabled, and class inequalities.

“I hope the Gender Alliance will leverage the potential of our individual work”

Helene Wolf

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The second case clinic on March 30th 2022, again organized by the Gender Alliance Women's Leadership Task Force, is dedicated to developing a personal brand story. Keynote speaker will be BMW Foundation Responsible Leader Ms Pelin Catherine Turgut.

On March 8th 2022, the Internationa Women's Day, that asked to reflect on how we can collaborate and #BreakTheBias to create a feminist future, the Women's Leadership Taskforce of the Gender Alliance hosted a conversation with CEOs Ms Rama Kirloskar, Joint Managing Director of Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL), and Mr Baudoin Denis, CEO, BMW Group Norway. They discussed how these two leaders conduct Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in their own organizations, and what drives them to be role models and get their inputs for accelerating gender equality. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here.

On January 19th 2022, the Women's Leadership Taskforce started a series of case clinics where members can bring challenges to the collective for ideation and feedback. Their first topic was Imposter Syndrome and the keynote speaker was BMW Foundation Responsible Leader Dr. Ricarda Engelmaier. Our member Barbara Börner was one of the leaders of the session, and wrote an incredible reflection on her experience.

On May 27th 2021, 30 men from the network came together to discuss and reflect on allyship towards gender equity. You can read the report here.

Currently, membership of the Alliance is drawn from the four networks mentioned above. Members enter the Alliance on a selfnominating basis, after completing a registration. Any changes to this model of membership and partnership will be developed through consensus with existing members and partners.

Investment from funders is not limited to the network, but funders must be committed to the values of the Alliance.

“Not all fights have to be individual struggles. Collective actions will provide greater strength.”

N.S. Nappinai

How to get engaged

If you are a member of the above mentioned networks and want to join the Gender Alliance, please do so here.

The Gender Alliance also welcomes partners who assist her sustainability by lending their support to specific activities and events.

If you want to learn more about the Gender Alliance or share your work towards gender equity, please email us at genderalliance2030@remove.this.gmail.com.

For further information on activities and events by the Gender Alliance, please see here.