The Spaces Yet to Be Filled by Females Around the World: Rebeca Riofrio at SIGEF Women Summit 2025, Malta
- PARLIAMENT NEWS
- Jun 19
- 5 min read
By Parliamentary Society Editorial Team
On 17 June 2025, the grandeur of the Phoenicia Hotel in Valletta became the setting for the SIGEF Women Summit 2025, where elegance met impact. Hosted in the heart of Malta’s capital, this international summit welcomed over 30 distinguished delegates and speakers from around the world—gathering to reimagine leadership, equity, and innovation through the lens of empowered womanhood.
Representing both her global advocacy work and her role in media, Rebeca Riofrio, British entrepreneur, took to the stage in Session 3—"From Policy to Action: Empowering Women for Global Impact"—where she addressed systemic gaps in gender representation and the pressing need for structural inclusion. She also contributed to the summit as an official media partner through Art in Fusion TV and the Parliamentary Society for Arts, Fashion and Sports, working alongside Elvijs Plugis, CMO and Board Advisor, to capture the voices shaping the future of leadership.
Vision, Data, and Narrative
Riofrio’s speech explored the global inequities still present across business, culture, and governance. “Women are still largely absent from the tables where decisions are made,” she stated, before offering a compelling metaphor:
“A shoe company once sent two salesmen to Africa. One said, ‘No one here wears shoes—there’s no market.’ The other exclaimed, ‘No one wears shoes—send inventory! The opportunity is enormous!’”
Her point was unmistakable: too often, women view their absence in certain industries as evidence of exclusion rather than potential. But, as she challenged the audience—how many spaces are women not part of—yet?
Riofrio then presented striking data:
💼 Only 12.5% of portfolio managers are women
🎬 Just 9% of directors of top-grossing films are female
📰 Only 27% of media leadership roles are held by women
👗 Fewer than 25% of fashion brands are led by women
🚫 Over 70 countries have never had a female head of state
“True progress in gender equality demands not only closing the gaps we can see, but courageously confronting the spaces where women have never been allowed to lead.”
Women Changemakers & Global Delegates
The summit was a celebration of bold leadership across borders and disciplines. Featured speakers included:
Maria Cristina Madriaga – Founder, Grow & Glow and Kathryn Luxury Flowers
Salwa Arfaoui – Real Estate Visionary, CEO of Women of Vision
Alina Terletchi – CMO, Alliance Real Estate Group
Virginia Schmidt – Web3 Entrepreneur & Film Producer
Milagros Milhet – Entrepreneur, GM of Palazzo Bifora
Rachel Haya – Entrepreneur & Storytelling Strategist
Juliet Valdinger, MSc – Philanthropic Strategist & AI Investigator
Mariya Spartalis – Founder, Spartalis Capital, Zurich
Frederic Chesnais – CEO, CBI – AlphaVerse
Paul-Hélie Magdelenat – VP Business Development, CBI – AlphaVerse
Leah Simha Parienti – Content Executive Producer, SIGEF
Featured Speakers:
Hedva Ser – Artist & UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Culture Diplomacy
Dr Ian Borg – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta
Dr. Miriam Dalli – Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness
Christianne Caruana – Director, Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta
Josianne Cutajar – Former MEP & EU Policy Consultant
Holly Scarfone – Digital Creator, Philanthropist & Advocate for Female Empowerment
Dustin Jones, MA – Award-Winning HR Executive, Leadership Strategist & Author
Elizabeth de Moraes, MA, MFA – International Speaker, Media/Brand Strategist & Bestselling Author
Mayara Marinov – Entrepreneur, Business Mentor & Speaker
Rebeca Riofrio – Chair, UK Parliamentary Society for Arts, Fashion, and Sports
Grazielle Camilleri – Entrepreneur, Real Estate Specialist & Motivational Influencer
Robyn Pratt – General Manager, The Phoenicia Malta
Mushka Segal – Founder, Chabad of Malta Foundation
Monica Espinosa – Head of Family Office Services
Claudia Marigliano – Team Head, Wealth Management
Rebecca JACQUIN – Notary Partner, Jacquin & Co; Art & Wealth Legacy Advisor
Betty Encinales – Global Talent Connector, Keynote Speaker
Jennifer East – Founder, ONIDA Family Advisors
Larissa Bonaci – Award-Winning Actress & Producer
Brigitte Othala Von Habsburg – Founder of Darcelite, Relationship Curator
Kimia Penton, M.S., PMP – Organizational Psychology Leader & Recording Artist
Melissa Gatt – Entrepreneur & Content Creator
Maria Cristina Madriaga – Founder of Grow & Glow and Kathryn Luxury Flowers
Salwa Arfaoui – Real Estate Visionary & CEO, Women of Vision
Alina Terletchi – CMO, Alliance Real Estate Group
Virginia Schmidt – Web3 Entrepreneur & Film Producer
Milagros Milhet – Entrepreneur, Owner & General Manager of Palazzo Bifora
Rachel Haya – Entrepreneur, Children's Book Writer, Storytelling Strategist
Juliet Valdinger, MSc. – Philanthropic Strategist & AI Investigator
Mariya Spartalis – Founder, Spartalis Capital, Zurich
Frederic Chesnais Chesnais – CEO, CBI – AlphaVerse
Paul-Hélie Magdelenat Magdelenat – VP Business Development CBI – AlphaVerse
Special guests included:
Joanna Raley – Political-Economic Associate, U.S. Embassy Malta
Roja S. Rajan – Head of Cultural Wing, Indian High Commission Malta
Li Na – Attachée, Embassy of the People's Republic of China
Aurelia Ferreira – CEO, Aura Projects
Jerry Jones – Founder, JB Jones Inspections
Vibhuti Sharma – Philanthropist & Psychologist
Christiane Daumont – Founder, CD Luxury Consulting
Michael Bonello – CEO, Alliance Real Estate Group
Luke Navin – MD, Century Capital
Léon Parienti – Chairman, Horyou
SIGEF Women Awards 2025
The day concluded with the SIGEF Women Awards Ceremony, honouring exceptional individuals advancing gender equality and innovation:
Christiane Caruana – Recognised for strategic diplomacy and women’s causes
Salwa Arfaoui – Empowering women entrepreneurs in the Middle East
Mayara Marinov – Mentoring women-led startups across Latin America
Elizabeth de Moraes – Championing women’s media presence and confidence
Kimia Penton – Bridging global programme leadership and artistic empowerment
Shakira Fenech – Leadership in humanitarian work and domestic violence support
Summit Agenda & Experience
The full-day programme offered dynamic and thematic sessions:
Session I – Navigating Wealth & Legacy
Session II – Wellness, Balance & Purpose
Session III – From Policy to Action: Empowering Women for Global Impact
Session IV – Leading the Future: Innovation, AI & the New Economy
SIGEF Women Awards Ceremony followed by closing reflections and a garden energy session.
Hosted in the opulence of the Phoenicia Hotel, the summit combined meaningful dialogue with an atmosphere of connection and creative energy. Delegates praised the Maltese hospitality and the summit’s ability to create genuine relationships across cultures and industries.
Legacy in Motion
Rebeca Riofrio’s presence at SIGEF Malta left an indelible mark—not just through her speech, but through the many interviews and conversations she and Elvijs Plugis led behind the scenes. These will soon be released through Art in Fusion TV, offering the world a closer look at the voices shaping tomorrow.
Special thanks were extended to Yonathan Parienti, Leah Simha Parienti, and the Horyou Foundation for curating a world-class programme that celebrates what is—and what is yet to be.
To read the official summit overview and highlights:👉 https://www.parliamentarysociety.com/post/malta-dressed-in-history-welcomes-the-world-sigef-women-summit-2025-honours-global-change-makers
The SIGEF Women Summit 2025 proved that when opportunity meets purpose, the future isn’t just female—it’s bold, global, and inclusive. Yet, as Rebeca Riofrio reminded us, there are still spaces left to be filled—by the women of tomorrow who dare to lead today.
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