Stories of Women Who Lead: H.E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim

In the second episode of Stories of Women Who Lead, Her Excellency Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius, joins Laura Liswood, Secretary-General of the Council of Women World Leaders, and Nawshin Mahadooa, Chargée de Mission at Cap Business Océan Indien, to reflect on leadership, risk, solidarity, and the future of women in power.

Confidence Begins at Home

When asked about the values that shaped her presidency, Dr. Gurib-Fakim’s answer is confidence.

That confidence, she explains, was instilled early by her father, her “big cheerleader.” His daily affirmation that she could achieve anything became the foundation of her leadership. “If you don’t believe in yourself,” she says, “no one will.”

Her message to families, especially fathers in conservative societies, is to tell daughters they are capable, to normalize ambition, and to redefine failure not as defeat but as a return to the drawing board.

In a world where women are often socialized to be risk-averse, Her Excellency argues that risk-taking is necessary.

Reframing Power and Ambition

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Gurib-Fakim challenges the language used to describe women in authority.

Where a man in power may be described as decisive or accomplished, a woman may be labeled aggressive. The narrative itself becomes a barrier.

Power, she insists, is not inherently negative; it is a tool. The real task is reclaiming ambition as a legitimate trait for women, and rejecting the double standards that frame strength as hostility.

Progress and Persistent Backlash

Globally, women still occupy less than a quarter of top leadership roles. While progress since the Beijing Platform for Action has been meaningful, particularly in education and political representation, discrimination remains deeply embedded.

Legal reforms exist in many countries, including Mauritius, but implementation lags.

“There are beautiful laws,” she notes, “but if they are not implemented, we are back to square one.”

She also emphasizes the fragility of gains. Political instability, conflict, and economic crises disproportionately harm women and girls. Her call to action is twofold:

• Hold governments accountable.

• Invest in women and girls so they can lead the fight themselves.

The Digital Battlefield

One of the most urgent threats facing women leaders today is digital violence. Her Excellency warns that generative AI and deepfakes may amplify this harm. In conservative societies, digitally manipulated content can devastate reputations and families.

Her prescription is digital literacy, strong legal enforcement, and societal willpower.

The cost of inaction, she argues, is women withdrawing from public life.

Visible and Silent Barriers

Women leaders face both visible barriers, including gender bias, unpaid care burdens, lack of networks, as well as silent ones: unconscious bias, stereotypes, impostor syndrome, and tokenism.

Even where quotas and affirmative mechanisms have increased representation, structural support matters. Nordic countries, she notes, have made progress not only through laws but through childcare infrastructure and paternity leave. These measures recognized shared responsibility.

Without institutional backing, women remain stalled at middle management levels.

Solidarity and Role Models

A recurring theme in the interview is solidarity. Women must not only rise, but they must also help each other stay there.

When a woman reaches the top, she becomes proof of possibility. Dr. Gurib-Fakim recalls looking up to Marie Curie and Wangari Maathai, women who made history in science and environmental activism. Their achievements expanded her imagination of what was possible.

“You can grow up in a small village,” she says, “and one day become president.”

Biodiversity, Science, and Dreaming Big

Beyond politics, Gurib-Fakim remains deeply committed to biodiversity and sustainable development. As a botanist, she frames humanity’s relationship with nature starkly: “Biodiversity is the branch on which humanity is sitting. And we are cutting it down.”

Her advocacy links environmental sustainability with women’s empowerment. Her Excellency argues that women in agriculture, health, and education are central to climate solutions. 

Her closing advice to young women is to “Dream big, so big it scares you, but remember, a dream is not a strategy.”

Nearly three decades after the Council's founding, this conversation reflects both continuity and change. The refrain of confidence, risk-taking, and resilience echoes across generations of women leaders.

In Dr. Gurib-Fakim’s words, progress requires complementarity: “A bird cannot fly with one wing.”

The Stories of Women Who Lead interview series builds on decades of work by the Council of Women World Leaders to document the experiences of women who have reached the highest levels of political leadership. By capturing these conversations, the series seeks to preserve the insights, challenges, and lessons learned from women presidents and prime ministers around the world.

Through these reflections, the Council hopes to inspire the next generation of leaders, illuminate the structural barriers women continue to face, and encourage broader global dialogue about inclusive leadership. By sharing these stories widely, the series aims to ensure that the journeys and wisdom of women leaders serve as both guidance and inspiration for those who will shape the future