In a world that often measures worth by productivity, social media likes, or career advancement, a quiet revolution is taking place in Washington, D.C. this week. The GIVEN Institute, a Catholic nonprofit dedicated to activating the gifts of young adult women, is hosting its 2026 Young Women’s Leadership Forum from June 24-28. But this is no ordinary leadership conference—it is a spiritual encounter designed to help women understand their intrinsic value as beloved daughters of God. Executive director Jennifer Cole-Schaefer told EWTN News that the core message is simple yet profound: “You are a gift. You are a beloved daughter of God.” This declaration, rooted in the belief that every woman has been endowed with unique talents and a divine purpose, challenges the secular narrative that identity must be earned through achievement.

The spiritual significance of this gathering cannot be overstated. In an age of anxiety and fragmentation, where young women face unprecedented pressure to define themselves, the GIVEN Forum offers a counter-cultural message: your worth is not something you create, but something you receive. The five-day event features keynotes, leadership training, mentorship, adoration, prayer, and Mass—a holistic approach that integrates faith with personal development. Cole-Schaefer emphasized that women have “been given gifts that are specific to them, and God has a plan to use those gifts.” This understanding shifts the focus from self-promotion to self-gift, from ambition to vocation. The forum is not merely about career networking; it is about discerning how one’s unique charisms can serve the Church and the world.

This message resonates deeply with wisdom traditions that have long taught that human dignity is not contingent on utility. From the Psalms declaring that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” to the writings of the early Church Fathers on the soul’s inherent goodness, the concept of being a gift echoes throughout spiritual history. St. Augustine wrote that God loves each of us as if there were only one of us—a radical affirmation of individual worth. The GIVEN Institute’s approach, which includes a year of accompaniment with a trained mentor and the creation of a personalized “action plan,” mirrors the ancient practice of spiritual direction. “The formation starts well before we get to the forum, but the forum is a really pivotal in-person experience,” Cole-Schaefer noted. “It’s after the forum that the real work begins—when women start to actualize their action plans.” This structured discipleship honors the truth that spiritual growth is a journey, not a single event.

For the modern seeker, the takeaway is transformative: your life is not a project to be managed but a gift to be unwrapped. The GIVEN Forum reminds us that true leadership flows not from self-assertion but from self-awareness—understanding who we are in the eyes of the Divine. In a culture that commodifies women, this message restores the sacred. Whether you are a young woman discerning your path or someone supporting the next generation, the call is clear: receive the truth of your belovedness, discover the gifts you have been given, and respond with the unique offering that only you can make. As Cole-Schaefer put it, “It’s all about receiving this idea that we are a gift, realizing what our gifts are, and responding in a way that only we can respond.” In doing so, we do not just build careers—we build the Kingdom.