For us AIESECers, the idea of leadership as the catalyst for change is not foreign or unknown but more like our day-by-day motto. With this idea, we also acknowledge that to have good change, we must create good leaders with all sorts of backgrounds who can make the most of it. 

Despite International Women’s Day being last month, we decided to still talk about women precisely one month later to remind you that women’s potential shouldn’t be something exclusively for the 8th of March but an everyday matter.

In this new entry, we want to highlight the women leading AIESEC from different places and the challenges they went through, as well as empower more women like them to be the leaders the world will need in the future. 

Tania Serrano from AIESEC in El Salvador

For Tania Serrano, president of AIESEC in El Salvador, the experience was a bit of a shock; trying to create change in her entity ended up being different than just talking about it, requiring a lot of internal and external changes and experiencing how this process can take a longer time than in other entities. Still, in her words, “this generation made a purpose to do a legendary impact for youth, that is how I am very inspired doing and reinventing my role to be in company with the change.” We find the compromise of her and the impact of such things in the youth she leads. 

She expressed her hope for the great Salvadorian youth she and her team are empowering and the action steps they are taking to accomplish this mission. 

Bettina Marlise Rae Quilapio from AIESEC in the Philippines

In the case of Bettina Marlise Rae Quilapio, president of AIESEC in the Philippines, she saw a lot of untapped potential in her entity, which led her to a mission: to maximize the strengths of her members and show them their capabilities. To do this, she had to plan some steps, like changing the members’ preconceived notions about AIESEC and building a whole new mindset. 

To quote her, “One of the most recurring ideas I have ingrained into my entity is dreaming big. I challenged them to dream big, fear the fears that come with it, and then take action – to always go beyond.”

Eleonora Pezzi from AIESEC in Italy

Meanwhile, Eleonora Pezzi, president of AIESEC in Italy, told us what being a woman leading the change is for her: “To me, it is about being not afraid to take action daily and be the first one believing in myself and my capabilities. At the same time, it’s about giving other women the confidence to believe in themselves,” a way of thinking we consider important given how the world and its view on women are changing toward many different ideas.

Kateryna Kirvas from AIESEC in Ukraine

For Kateryna Kirvas, the experience happened to be quite different. Leading the country through explosions, blackouts, damaged houses, and ruined people’s lives was her way to strengthen the entity and to keep pushing forward to develop and grow day by day, showing her people how to change their mindset and focus them on how to dream big and take small actions to actually make change. 

She believes “that we are the leaders who need to take actions to create leadership stories and make an impact to Shape Ukraine, to help our country in such hard circumstances.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, the narratives of these leaders encapsulate the essence of leadership as a catalyst for transformative change. Through their diverse experiences within AIESEC, they demonstrate the resilience, determination, and visionary thinking required to navigate challenges and inspire meaningful progress.

Their stories are powerful reminders of the untapped potential within individuals, irrespective of gender, and underscore the importance of fostering inclusive environments where all voices are valued. As we celebrate their achievements, let us heed their call to action, embracing the leadership journey with courage, ambition, and a commitment to empowering others. Let us strive toward a future where diversity thrives, opportunities abound, and leadership knows no boundaries.

To have women in leadership positions is more than just an inclusion quota, especially for us AIESECers, who know how difficult it is to get into these positions inside our organization and the sacrifices and hardships they involve. This is why we wanted to portray the experiences of these leaders and how they have been shaped by them and used them to impact their people. 

We invite everyone to participate in this leadership experience, taking your first steps by joining us at Youth Speak Forum to raise your voices and learn new ways.