Women Champions for Change Summit: In shadow of war, Iranian, Afghan women join others in Tel Aviv to push for change
Nov 24, 2025
Israeli, Emirati, Saudi, Lebanese, other leaders attend inaugural Women Champions for Change summit to brainstorm solutions for regional progress
Thirty women leaders, from or with roots across the Middle East and North Africa, gathered in Tel Aviv last week to discuss collaboration on social change, offering a quieter form of regional dialogue amid headlines dominated by war and diplomatic rifts.
Israeli, Lebanese, Iranian, Tunisian, Saudi, Afghan, Moroccan, Emirati and Iraqi women — several of whom reside in the United States, Canada and UK — were part of the inaugural Women Champions for Change summit. The multi-day conference, which concluded on Thursday, at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation in Jaffa.
“The fastest way to change the Middle East is to mobilize the women of the Middle East,” said co-leader Stav Bar-Shany, noting that women often bring empathy and authenticity into spaces where traditional diplomacy struggles.
The goal of the summit was to create a platform for cross-border connection and to highlight the role of women in leading social change, even amid political and military conflict, with participants coming together to discuss shared challenges and brainstormed opportunities for collaboration.
Iranian native Nazanin Afshin-Jam Mackay, who participated in the summit, told The Times of Israel that
“the conflicts tearing through the Middle East today are overwhelmingly driven and negotiated by men. Since October 7, not a single woman has been at the negotiating table in efforts to end the war.”
Organized with support from the Peres Center, the Abraham Women’s Alliance and MENA2050, the summit was timed to mark five years since the signing of the Abraham Accords, with speakers discussing the impact the 2020 Accords had on the region, and hope for expanded future ties.
Read the full article about the WCC Summit.