With headline news hitting everyone, everywhere, every hour of the day, it can be easy to hunker down and concentrate only on what’s happening in your immediate area. But something key to remember is that few struggles happen in isolation — and these days, as people around the world become closer than ever, so many of our causes are interconnected.

Each year, UN Women hosts a Commission on the Status of Women(CSW), bringing together researchers, grassroots leaders, academics, policymakers, the heads of NGOs, and more to learn how women on the ground are changing their communities and the world in big ways, and to share information about the matters that affect women the most.

Five of these global leaders and experts sat down with Refinery29 to discuss their lives, work, and careers — and how they think women can move the world forward.  More