Dr. Sibylle von Heydebrand, an Icon of Change in Switzerland

Icons of Change™

Icons of Change International Awards 2026  Dr. Sibylle von Heydebrand  Executive Vice President, International Alliance of Women Main Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva  Representative to UNESCO  Representative to the International Labour Organization  Lecturer, IBZ Schulen AG  Publications - Die Ermitage in Arlesheim. Ein Paradies im Grünen, Schwabe Verlag Basel / Berlin · May 2025 - Stimmrecht und kantonale Autonomie: Allgemeines und gleiches Stimmrecht am Beispiel der Nordwestschweizer Kantone, Helbing Lichtenhahn Verlag Basel · Apr 2019   SDG Focus: Goal 5: Gender Equality  Changemaker for Women's Rights, Gender Equality and Inclusive International Decision-Making (Switzerland)   ___________  A Lifetime of Commitment to Women's Rights and Equality  Dr. Sibylle von Heydebrand is recognised for her sustained voluntary commitment to women's rights, the rights of girls, gender equality and the meaningful participation of women in international decision-making. A Swiss lawyer with a PhD in law from the University of Basel, she brings legal expertise, academic engagement and international civic leadership to the advancement of human rights and more inclusive institutions.  Her work is grounded in a fundamental principle: women must be represented wherever decisions affecting their lives, communities and societies are made. This conviction informs her engagement with international organisations and multilateral institutions, where questions of equality, justice, democratic participation and social development are addressed across national boundaries.  For Dr. von Heydebrand, gender equality is not an isolated policy objective. It is closely connected to the quality of democratic institutions, the fairness of legal systems, the protection of human rights and the conditions necessary for peaceful and sustainable societies. Women's participation in public life and international decision-making is therefore both a matter of fundamental rights and an important dimension of institutional legitimacy.  Through her voluntary international engagement, she contributes to the continuing effort to ensure that women's experiences, perspectives and concerns remain visible in discussions that shape public policy and international cooperation.  ___________  International Leadership With the International Alliance of Women  As Executive Vice President of the International Alliance of Women (IAW), Dr. von Heydebrand serves within an international organisation with a history dating to 1904. The Alliance has a longstanding association with the advancement of women's rights and gender equality, providing an institutional platform for advocacy, international engagement and cooperation.  Her leadership role reflects a commitment to advancing these objectives through dialogue, representation and engagement with international institutions.

Transcript

00:02Hello, I am Dr. Sibylle von Heidebrand from Switzerland.

00:08I am deeply honored to be recognized as a Changemaker for International Leadership,

00:14Women's Representation and Global Advocacy by the Icons of Change International Awards

00:202026.

00:22I am a lawyer and serve as Executive Vice President of International Alliance of Women,

00:28one of the world's oldest international women's rights organizations.

00:33I represent the International Alliance of Women at the United Nations in Geneva, UNESCO

00:39in Paris, and the International Labour Organization.

00:42Working within the international community has taught me something very simple.

00:48Commitment matters, but implementation matters even more.

00:53Rights on paper must become rights in practice.

00:56Women and girls need access to justice, education and decent work, protection from violence and

01:04discrimination, and the opportunity to participate fully in public life.

01:10But participation alone is not enough.

01:13Women must have a voice.

01:15Women must have a seat at the table, and women must be part of the decisions that shape our future.

01:23Gender equality is a question of human rights and democracy.

01:27We cannot have sustainable development without peace, lasting peace without democracy and justice,

01:34or any of these without the full and equal participation of women.

01:39My own international engagement is entirely voluntary.

01:44For me, volunteering means bringing our knowledge, experience, energy and voice to something larger than ourselves.

01:54None of us can change the world alone, but each of us can change something.

02:00And together, individual actions become collective progress.

02:05I am deeply grateful for this recognition.

02:08Through all my engagement, my aim is ultimately a simple one, to help make the world a better place for

02:17women and girls.

02:18I accept this award, not only as an honour, but also as an encouragement to continue to speak up, to

02:27bring people together and to help turn commitments into action.

02:31Thank you very much.

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