Soroptimist International, in partnership with The Commonwealth, hosted on Friday 28 November 2025 a high-level roundtable, ‘Shaping an Equitable Future with AI’, at Marlborough House in London, bringing together experts, policymakers and advocates to foster a multi-stakeholder dialogue on harnessing AI’s transformative potential to promote inclusive, human-centered growth and ensure no one in the Commonwealth is left behind.
Held in the historic Delegates Room, the event gathered distinguished speakers including:
- Kseniia Fontaine, Senior Business development and Operations Manager for the AI for Good platform at the International Telecommunication Union;
- Osmal Wood, Advisor on Digital Innovation at the Commonwealth Secretariat;
- Laura Turkington, EY Global Corporate Responsibility Commercial and Innovation Leader, and member of the EQUALS Skills Coalition;
- Professor David Stillwell, Academic Director at The Psychometrics Centre and Professor of Computational Social Science at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge;
- Walter Pasquarelli, Advisor, Author and Researcher, and
- Monica Maghami, CEO of Sustain-Nobility Advisory.
The roundtable was opened by Soroptimist International’s Representative to The Commonwealth, Pat Dale MBE, whose leadership was central to convening the event, and was moderated by Soroptimist International AI Advocacy Advisor, Tania Gómez Herazo.
Speaking on behalf of The Commonwealth, Deputy Secretary-General Dr Arjoon Suddhoo underlined how the roundtable directly supports the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030, which focuses on building democratic, economic and environmental resilience, with youth empowerment and gender equality at its core. He highlighted the critical role of young people across the Commonwealth in shaping responsible, innovative uses of AI that can drive sustainable development and ensure that no community is left behind in the digital transition.
“Artificial intelligence must be shaped so that it narrows, rather than widens, the gaps that all women and girls already face in education, work and access to technology,” said Soroptimist International President 2024–2025, Siew Yong Gnanalingam, welcoming the strong collaboration with The Commonwealth and international partners. “Today’s dialogue shows the power of bringing diverse voices together to turn high-level principles into concrete, practical action around the globe.”
Participants engaged in interactive discussions at thematic tables on education and skills development, economic empowerment and the future of work, financial inclusion and the digital economy, gender and AI advocacy, youth engagement, and tech policy and governance, each led by one of the expert speakers.
Each table produced a short synthesis of key insights and recommendations, which were shared in plenary to highlight practical pathways for human-centred AI policies, inclusive innovation and new partnerships across sectors. In closing remarks, Soroptimist International President-Elect 2026–2027, Renata Trottmann Probst, underlined the organisation’s commitment to continuing partnering with The Commonwealth, the ITU and other stakeholders to ensure AI is governed in ways that respect human rights, promote gender equality, champion youth leadership and leave no one behind.
For further information about the roundtable and follow-up actions, please contact Soroptimist International Headquarters at globalpolicy@soroptimistinternational.org or visit www.soroptimistinternational.org
