Safeguarding and Elevating Women Local Leaders in Building and Maintaining Strong Cities

On 24 – 26 April 2026, the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands hosted the launch of the Strong Cities Network’s global initiative on addressing hate and harassment targeting women local leaders. This initiative responds to the escalating and increasingly gendered threats that these leaders around the world are facing, which undermine both their personal safety and the functioning of local democracy. It will include regional convenings of women elected local leaders and culminate in the development and launch of a new toolkit for cities, local governments and other stakeholders to address these threats.  

This report provides a summary of discussions during the event.

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