HLP Voices Series #8 Leading for the Youngest and the Future: A Conversation with Ana María Rodríguez

At Her Leadership Playbook, we spotlight women who are not only leading with purpose but also reshaping systems to empower others. In this 8th edition of HLP Voices, we meet Ana María Rodríguez, a global leader in early childhood development, education policy, and public administration.

With over two decades of experience, Ana María has dedicated her career to transforming education systems and designing policies that impact millions of children. She currently serves as an Early Childhood Development Specialist at UNICEF’s East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, where she supports programs that nurture young children’s growth and well-being. Her previous roles include Chief of Education at UNICEF Colombia and Chief of the Early Childhood Development Unit at the Colombian Ministry of National Education, where she helped shape national education strategies at the highest level.

In addition to her leadership in education, Ana María is a passionate advocate for gender equality. Her work on the link between childcare systems and women’s empowerment positions her as a powerful voice in global development.

In this conversation, we explore her journey, her experience leading across cultures, and her belief in the power of early childhood development to create lasting change for families and societies.

Let’s begin.

Pınar: First of all, thank you for being with us. You have built a meaningful and impactful career in early childhood development and public policy. What first drew you to this work, and what continues to inspire you today?

Ana María: I always wanted to serve people and work in projects and organizations with a social mission. I began my career in the Colombian government, at the National Planning Department, which helped me understand how policies are made. But I also wanted to get closer to the people we were designing these policies for.

That curiosity led me to pursue a master’s degree in social work in the US. During that time, I landed an internship with UNICEF in New York. That experience shaped my perspective deeply, I saw how critical children and families are to the health of society. When I returned to Colombia, I leaned into that purpose and focused on children’s policy. I haven’t stopped since.

Pınar: That is such a powerful foundation. Have there been any mentors or role models who shaped your approach to leadership and policymaking?

Ana María: Absolutely, so many, and most of them are women. They’ve played such important roles in different stages of my life. I still seek them out wherever I go. I ask them for feedback, tell them I admire them, and that I want to learn from them. Some of my best decisions have come from their advice.

My biggest recommendation is: find women you admire and ask them to be your mentors. Women supporting women is one of the most empowering things I know.

Pınar: You’ve worked across Colombia, Albania, and now East Asia-Pacific with UNICEF. Leading in different cultural and political contexts requires adaptability. How did you adjust your leadership style in each place?

Ana María: This is such a thoughtful question, thank you for making me reflect on it. One of the most important things to do when you move somewhere new is to listen. It sounds simple, but it can be hard. When you relocate, your brain is overwhelmed. You’re figuring out your role, settling in, helping your family adapt. In all that noise, it’s easy to forget to truly listen.

But listening is essential. Listen to the new language, the tone, the social cues, the questions people ask, how they ask them. Listen to your team. Listen to your family. That’s how you start to understand, and only then can you adapt. If you skip that step, you miss the culture and the connection.

A dear friend, also one of my mentors, once told me two things: first, pace yourself—this is a marathon, not a sprint. And second, be yourself. Those two principles, together with listening, are now part of my personal toolkit. So I’d say: listen, pace yourself, and show up as your best self.

Pınar: You are also a mother of two, a son and a daughter. I have had the joy of meeting them and they are truly wonderful. From both your personal experience as a parent and your professional work in the field, how do you see the role of early childhood in advancing gender equality?

Ana María: Thank you, Pınar. Motherhood is the most challenging and rewarding “job” I’ve ever had. But around the world, motherhood looks very different for each woman. Many face extreme inequalities, no access to childcare, long working hours, limited support. And these disparities directly affect children’s development.

We now know from science that the early years are critical for brain development, and that nurturing, responsive caregiving shapes a child for life. But if a mother wakes up at 4am to work across the city, comes home exhausted, and still has to soothe a crying baby late into the night, she may not have the capacity to provide those moments of connection, even if she wants to. That’s not a personal failure. That’s a systems failure.

Governments and the private sector need to create structures that support these women. Affordable, high-quality childcare is one piece. Access to early childhood services also creates opportunities for women to work, to rest, to learn. That is real empowerment—having time that is your own, without guilt.

And gender roles? We can start to shift them early. From intentional work with families and caregivers to early childhood programmes these are the best places to begin dismantling stereotypes, both for children and for parents.

Pınar: That is so powerful. I want to print it on a banner and hang it everywhere. What you said speaks to the core of what real empowerment looks like. As women leaders and allies, we have a responsibility to keep pushing for that kind of change.

You have held leadership roles in major institutions, yet women still face real barriers in policy and international organizations. From your perspective, what are some of the biggest challenges women leaders continue to face today?

Ana María: I think many of our systems are still rooted in patriarchy. They were built by men, for men, and even today, those structures persist—in institutions, in workplaces, and even in families. These biases shape how people perceive leadership and who belongs in it.

This plays out in so many ways. Pay inequality. Pressure to choose between motherhood and career. Career breaks that stall progression. And in male-dominated industries, I can only imagine how exhausting it must be for women to fight for space every single day.

And if you are a single mother? The challenges multiply.

But here’s something I feel strongly about: we need each other. If women unite, if we support each other intentionally, we can achieve incredible things. If we want more women in leadership, we need to back each other up and go for it—together. I believe we can.

Pınar: Many young women want to enter global development, but policy work can feel intimidating. What would you tell someone just starting out?

Ana María: Every path is a journey. Like any journey, there are challenges, surprises, and beautiful moments along the way. You need to prepare for it, the same way you would for a hike or an adventure.

Study. Practice. Stay curious. Ask all the questions, even the ones that feel silly. Reach out to people you admire. Be bold. Be brave. The biggest mistake is not trying. And please, celebrate the small wins. Learn from your setbacks. Keep going.

If I could add one more piece of advice, it’s this: learn early how to balance your personal life and your work. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it—for your well-being and your impact.

Ana María, thank you. Your words reflect the depth of your experience and the strength of your purpose.

It’s an honor to share your story with the Her Leadership Playbook community.

You can connect with Ana María from Linkedin.