To watch the event live, please click the “Watch Livestream” button on Monday, September 18 at 10:30 a.m. EDT.
On Monday, September 18 at 10:30 a.m. EDT, tune in and watch Mrs. Bush in a conversation about the role and influence of global first ladies at the 2017 Concordia Summit in New York. The discussion is based on the Bush Institute’s report, A Role Without a Rulebook: The Influence & Leadership of Global First Ladies, which examines how first ladies throughout history have utilized their role to champion issues that improve the lives of the people they serve.
Hostess, teammate, champion, and policy advocate, first ladies provide distinct case studies for women’s leadership. Unelected but official, spouses of state and government leaders have a unique opportunity to build bridges between civil society and government institutions. Both at home and abroad, they have leveraged their influence to champion causes including social and economic inclusion, education and healthcare, peace and security, and women and children’s rights. But even in countries where the role is most formally recognized culturally and politically, it is typically a role without a rule book.