Generation Girl speaks out about what women really want in 2015

The conference aims to give a platform to women of influence and explore issues facing women and girls today.

This year’s theme is “Generation Girl”, which aims to champion those who are treading “unchartered waters” and inspiring the next generation. One of those featured is Mhairi Black, who became the UK’s youngest MP when she was elected for the SNP in May’s election. She will talk about her journey from “chip shop to Westminster”.

Scottish singer and songwriter Nina Nesbitt will also be talking about body confidence and the pressures of being in the public eye.

Publishing legend Tina Brown, founder and CEO of Women in the World, which was set up in 2009, said there was a surge in feminism in the UK with more women in parliament and the founding of the Women’s Equality Party.

She added: “Women are stepping into the limelight and wanting to talk about these things.”

Here we look at some of the issues which will be discussed at the Women in the World Summit.

Body confidence

The speakers for this discussion session includes Scottish singer/songwriter Nina Nesbitt, psychoanalyst Dr Susie Orbach and model Chantelle Winnie, who has the condition vitiligo, which causes white patches to develop on the skin. They will discuss body confidence and how social media magnifies the desire to look perfect. Nesbitt, who released the single ‘Selfies’ in 2014, said: “Social networks have made it easy for us to express ourselves, but also to live our lives through a kind of 'fake reality'.”

Sexual violence

A panel including a doctor from Iraq and a representative from the Iraqi Parliament will discuss the “dangerous and desperate race” to save Yazidi women from the sexual violence of Daesh - otherwise known as Islamic State. People from Iraq’s Yazidi ethnic group have been targeted by Daesh, which views them as ‘pagan infidels’. In August 2014, the terror group attacked Yazidi villages in Iraq: it is estimated thousands have been massacred and as many as 5000 to 7000 women and girls have been enslaved by Daesh, with reports of systematic rape, torture, forced marriage and selling of women and girls as sex slaves.

Equality

The Women’s Equality Party, co-founded by comedian Sandy Toksvig, was formed in March this year to tackle the inequality which women in the UK face “at home, at work, in politics and in public life”. Co-founder and president Catherine Mayer will be interviewed by author Kathy Lette on why now is the time to tackle issues such as women occupying the lowest-paid jobs, low conviction rates for sexual assaults and domestic abuse and a lack of female representation in the boardroom.

Misogyny

Playwright and novelist Bonnie Greer and journalist and documentary film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who was the first Pakistani to win an Oscar, will discuss if modern feminism can “slay misogyny” in 2015. Barrister Charlotte Proudman, who was labelled a “feminazi” after she accused a lawyer of sexism over a message sent on LinkedIn complimenting her on her “stunning picture” will also be talking about this issue.

Women and sport

The fastest growing sport in Britain today is girls’ football. Eniola Aluko, who is one of England’s top strikers and plays for Chelsea Ladies, will talk about her career and inspiring a new generation of young women to take up the sport. She put her job as a sport and showbiz lawyer on hold to become a full-time footballer and take part in this year’s Women’s World Cup, in which England secured third place. Statistics show men play more sport than women, and women’s participation in sport declines with age.

Child sexual abuse

The Jimmy Savile scandal and subsequent police investigations has brought the issue of child sexual abuse into the spotlight in recent years. Latest figures show that in Scotland there were 3,742 sexual offences against children under 18 recorded in 2013-14, including rape, sexual assault and grooming – which was a ten-year high. The number of recorded sexual offences against children in England and Wales has also risen by a third. One victim who was abused by a teacher twenty years ago will share her story at the summit.

Child marriage

Afghan rapper Sonita Alizadeh will share her experience of narrowly escaping a forced marriage at the age of 14. She uses her music to challenge cultural norms and wrote a song called ‘Brides for Sale”. Child marriage is widespread in many developing countries and can have consequences including depriving children of education and health risks associated with early sexual activity and childbirth. It is estimated there are 70 million child brides worldwide, who married before the age of 18.

Women leaders

While there is much talk of women’s “empowerment”, one topic which the Women in the World summit will scrutinise is whether this will result in many more women leaders in the future. Currently figures show that although women make up just over half of the population, only 30% are MPs. Women also account for only around a fifth of FTSE 100 company directors.

Refugees

The recent image of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi lying drowned on a beach in Turkey triggered an outcry around the world and brought the human cost of the refugee crisis into sharp focus. Around half of the refugees globally are women and there are concerns over issues facing women in refugee camps such as sexual violence and human trafficking. Mervat Alsman, a Syrian refugee who has just arrived in the UK, will share her story at the summit.

Education

Malala Yousafzai became known around the world after being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for speaking out about the rights of girls to education. She later became the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of just 17. Her mother Toor Pekai Yousafzai will speak publicly for the first time at the summit, together with her husband Ziauddin Yousafzai.