Preventing violence against women and girls and the power of storytelling on a global stage
Uniting two trailblazing women from the worlds fashion and entertainment women whose voices transcend borders, this panel will explore the power of purpose in shaping a more inclusive future. Acclaimed actor, writer and activist will join model and humanitarian Adot Gak to reflect on their personal journeys, the challenges they have overcome, and the responsibility that comes with using their platforms for meaningful change.
Speakers
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Danai GuriraAward-Winning Actress, Playwright and UN Women Goodwill AmbassadorDanai Gurira
Award-Winning Actress, Playwright and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
Danai Gurira is an award-winning actress and playwright. She starred as General Okoye in Marvel’s Academy Award-winning blockbuster film Black Panther, winning a People’s Choice Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a shared SAG Award. She reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Most recently, she wrapped shooting the Netflix film Here Comes the Flood opposite Denzel Washington and Robert Pattinson, the Apple film Matchbox opposite John Cena, and The Thomas Crown Affair opposite Michael B. Jordan.
On television, she is best known as Michonne on AMC’s The Walking Dead and its record-breaking spin-off The Ones Who Live, where she also served as executive producer, co-creator, and co-writer. Her other acting credits include All Eyez on Me, Mother of George, The Visitor, and Shakespeare in the Park’s Measure for Measure and Richard III.
As a playwright, she is the first African female writer to have a play on Broadway and to bring the perspective of African women to mainstream theatre. Her plays include In the Continuum, Eclipsed, The Convert, and Familiar. Commissioned by Yale Rep, Center Theatre Group, Playwrights Horizons, and the Royal Court, she is a recipient of the Sam Norkin Award, a Whiting Award, and a Hodder Fellowship.
Born in Iowa to Zimbabwean parents and raised in Zimbabwe, Gurira holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. An ambassador for Bono’s ONE campaign, she is co-founder of Almasi Arts Alliance, which expands access and opportunity for African dramatic artists. She is also founder of Love Our Girls, advocating for gender equality and policy change, a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, and a Global Citizen ambassador.
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Adot GakSouth Sudanese Model, Activist & Refugee Rights AdvocateAdot Gak
South Sudanese Model, Activist & Refugee Rights Advocate
Adot Gak is a Sudanese-born model whose journey, from fleeing conflict to being discovered in an Iowa mall, has become central to her identity in fashion. She is now considered a "model of the moment," walking for designers such as Rick Owens and appearing in campaigns for brands including Skims and Tiffany & Co., with covers for titles such as Marie Claire and Elle positioning her at the forefront of fashion's new direction.
Beyond her work in fashion, Adot uses her platform to raise awareness of peace and security, while shining a light on the realities faced by refugees, particularly displaced families and children. Drawing from her own lived experience, she advocates for greater empathy, visibility, and action on humanitarian issues.
What sets her apart is her personal narrative and presence. She speaks openly about hardship, grief, and responsibility, offering a mix of resilience, humour, and emotional depth. Driven by independence and a desire to prove people wrong, she brings a grounded honesty to her work and public persona.
Adot represents a new kind of model, where storytelling, advocacy, identity, and lived experience are as impactful as image.
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Shudufhadzo MusidaAuthor, advocate, host and UNFPA Global Champion for Women and GirlsShudufhadzo Musida
Author, advocate, host and UNFPA Global Champion for Women and Girls
Shudufhadzo Musida is a South African author, advocate, and UNFPA Global Champion for Women and Girls whose work bridges advocacy, storytelling, and style. After making history as Miss South Africa 2020, Shudu has emerged as a global voice for mental health, gender equity, and representation.
A published author, international speaker, and thought leader, Shudu leads critical conversations on wellness, leadership, identity, and social change—drawing from both lived experience and academic rigor. She is a 2026 graduate from Columbia University, graduating with a STEM-designated Master of Public Administration in International Finance and Economic Theory (Minor in Innovation).
Shudu is also the creator and host of Mindful Mondays, a podcast listened to more than 2.2 million times, that explores mental fitness with honesty, depth, and nuance. The series expands beyond the mind alone to examine the systems that shape who we are, threading conversations about AI, maternal health and research gaps affecting women, representation in mental health spaces, geopolitics, power, conscious leadership, and identity. At its core, the podcast reflects Shudu’s belief that mental fitness does not exist in isolation—it lives within systems, culture, policy, technology, history, and within each of us.
Alongside her advocacy and media work, Shudu is the founder of Masana Group, a woman-led consultancy focused on strategic development and corporate social investment. Her collaborations span global brands including Dove, Lancôme, and Burberry, where she brings together purpose-driven storytelling, cultural influence, and impact.
Whether speaking on global stages or engaging with grassroots communities, Shudu’s mission is clear: to remind the world that joy, intellect, vulnerability, and activism can, and must, coexist.