CEO for a Day Indonesia Brings Together Today’s Women Leaders and Tomorrow’s Changemakers

Sixteen young women from across Indonesia joined women CEOs, senior business leaders, Government representatives and heads of United Nations agencies today at the closing event of "CEO for a Day Indonesia: Women Shaping Tomorrow," a youth shadowing and mentorship initiative. It was jointly organized by the United Nations in Indonesia, AmCham Indonesia Women Network and the UN Global Compact Network Indonesia (IGCN).

Held to commemorate International Youth Day, the event celebrated the achievements of the participants. The United Nations, private sector and business networks also reaffirmed their shared commitment to empowering young women through leadership, mentorship and meaningful opportunities to grow.

Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making positions around the world, highlighting the importance of creating pathways that enable young women to develop the confidence, experience and networks needed to lead.

“Today, we come together to leverage the power of women to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Gita Sabharwal, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Indonesia. “Every leader starts somewhere. Like the many young participants here today, we too started out as idealistic young women eager to make a positive difference in the world. Empowering young people, especially girls and women, is a core United Nations value. By bringing generations of women leaders together, we can advance inclusion, equality and opportunity, and help shape a more sustainable future for Indonesia.”

Seeing leadership up close

The 16 participants were selected through a competitive process based on their leadership potential, motivation and commitment to creating positive impact. They were paired with 15 women CEOs, senior executives and heads of United Nations agencies, and gained first-hand insight into leadership, organizational culture, career development and decision-making.

One of the participants, 24-year-old Dhea Umi Amalia, said the CEO for a Day experience reinforced her belief that a person’s background should not determine how far they can go. Raised in a modest family — her father works as a public minivan driver and her mother, who grew up in a farming family, completed junior high school — Dhea went on to study chemistry at Universitas Gadjah Mada, graduating cum laude as the fastest graduate in her department before transitioning into a career in marketing.

“The opportunity opened my eyes to how leadership is built through experience, the courage to seize opportunities and a willingness to keep learning. To first-generation women out there: don’t let where you come from determine where you end up. Dare to dream big, seek out mentors and keep investing in yourself,” she said.

The participating organizations included AHANA, Bee Well Indonesia, AmCham Indonesia, HHP Law Firm, HP Indonesia, Dynapack Asia, Selaras Logistik Indonesia, Kiroyan Partners, APP Group, TBS Energi Utama, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Indonesia, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Indonesia, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Indonesia, UN Women Indonesia and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Indonesia.

“Leadership cannot be learned from textbooks alone. It grows through exposure, experience, curiosity and the courage to ask questions,” said Donna Priadi, Managing Director of AmCham Indonesia. “CEO for a Day gave these young women the opportunity to see leadership as it is actually practiced — the challenges, the difficult decisions and the responsibility behind every position. We hope the experience encourages them to pursue their ambitions with confidence and to know that they belong in leadership spaces.”

An opportunity and a responsibility

The closing event featured participant reflections, a leadership talk show, a recognition ceremony and an interactive “Ask the Leaders” session, providing participants with the opportunity to engage directly with women leaders from the private sector and the United Nations.

“The private sector has both an opportunity and a responsibility to help build the next generation of women leaders,” said Y. W. Junardy, President of the UN Global Compact Network Indonesia. “Gender equality must go beyond commitments on paper. Companies need to create inclusive workplaces, strengthen women’s leadership pipelines, provide meaningful mentorship and ensure that women have equal opportunities to advance. This initiative shows how collaboration between business, the United Nations and young people can translate shared principles into concrete action.”

Launched in June 2026, CEO for a Day Indonesia invited young women aged 18–25 who had contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals through volunteering, education, climate action, entrepreneurship, advocacy, innovation or community initiatives. Selected participants were given the opportunity to accompany women leaders, join meetings, observe decision-making and have candid conversations about leadership, challenges and purpose.

Through CEO for a Day Indonesia, the organizers hope to inspire more institutions to invest in youth leadership and contribute to a future in which women are equally represented at all levels of leadership and decision-making.

This story was originally published by the UN team in Indonesia. Please visit the UN team's website for more information about the UN's work in Indonesia.