100 Women (BBC)


100 Women is a BBC multi-format series established in 2013. The series examines the role of women in the 21st century and has included events in London and Mexico. After the list was unveiled, it was the start of the "BBC's women season", lasting for three weeks, which included broadcast, online reports, debates and journalism on the topic of women. Women from throughout the world are encouraged to participate via Twitter and comment on the list, as well as on the interviews and debates that follow release of the list.

History

After the 2012 Delhi gang rape, then BBC Controller Liliane Landor, BBC editor Fiona Crack and other journalists, were inspired to create a series focusing on the issues and achievements of women in society today. They felt that many of the issues women faced were not getting in-depth coverage, and in March 2013 a "flood of feedback from female listeners" was received by the BBC to the effect that the corporation should provide more "content from and about women."
The BBC launched this series in 2013 to address the under-representation of women in the media. Women to participate in the first program were chosen by survey in 26 different language services. Programming ran over the course of a month, culminating in a conference held on 25 October, in which 100 women from across the world discussed issues they shared. A wide range of topics were debated covering employment challenges, feminism, motherhood, and religion, to examine both the cultural and social challenges women faced in living their lives.
The series has since covered many topics, including education, healthcare, equal pay, genital mutilation, domestic violence, and sexual abuse and seeks to provide women with a platform to discuss how to improve the world and eliminate sexism. Women included on the list are from around the globe, and involved in diverse fields of endeavor. Women who are already famous are included, as well as people who are less known.

Laureates

2019

The 2019 list was announced on 16 October 2019.
ImageNameCountry of birthDescription
Precious AdamsBallet dancer
Parveena AhangerHuman rights activist
Piera AielloAnti-mafia politician
Jasmin Akter
Rohingya refugee and cricketer
Manal Al DowayanSaudi photographer and artist
Kimia AlizadehFirst female Iranian Olympic medallist
Alanoud AlsharekhWomen's rights activist
Marwa Al-SabouniArchitect who runs only Arabic website for architectural news
Rida Al TubulyPeace campaigner
Tabata AmaralPolitician working for education, women's rights, political innovation and sustainable futures
Yalitza AparicioActress and human rights activist
Dayna AshPoet and cultural activist
Dina Asher-SmithFastest woman in British history
MiMi AungNASA project manager and engineer
Nisha AyubTransgender activist
Judith BakiryaOrganic farmer and women's rights activist
Ayah Bdeir
Founder of littleBits and STEM advocate
Dhammananda BhikkhuniFirst female Thai Buddhist monk
Mabel BiancoFeminist medical doctor and women's rights activist
Raya BidshahriEducator and founder of Awecademy
Katie BoumanProcessed first-ever image of a black hole
Sinéad BurkeDisability activist
Lisa Campo-EngelsteinBioethicist and fertility and contraceptive researcher
Scarlett CurtisCo-founder of The Pink Protest
Ella DaishEnvironmentalist and anti-plastic campaigner
Sharan DhaliwalWriter and advocate for mental and sexual health for young South Asians, and LGBTQ rights
Salwa Eid Naser
400m world champion runner
Rana el KalioubyArtificial emotional intelligence pioneer
Maria Fernanda EspinosaFourth woman member of the UN General Assembly
Lucinda EvansWomen's rights activist and founder of Philisa Abafazi Bethu
Sister Gerard FernandezRoman Catholic nun and death row counsellor
Bethany FirthParalympic swimmer
Owl FisherTransgender activist, journalist and writer
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce100m world sprint champion
Zarifa GhafariOne of Afghanistan's first female mayors; clean city advocate
Jalila HaiderHuman rights lawyer and women's rights advocate
Tayla HarrisAustralian rules footballer and boxer
HollieSex trafficking survivor
Huang WensiProfessional boxer
Luchita HurtadoArtist and environmental advocate
Yumi IshikawaGender discrimination campaigner and founder of #kutoo movement
Asmaa JamesJournalist and women's rights activist
Aranya JoharBeat poet who writes about gender equality, mental health and body positivity
Katrina Johnston-ZimmermanUrban anthropologist and co-founder of The Women Led Cities Initiative
Gada KadodaFounder of the Sudanese Knowledge Society and trainer of community engineers
Amy KarleBioartist and 3D-designer
Ahlam KhudrHuman rights protest leader
Fiona KolbingerFirst woman cyclist to win the Transcontinental Race
Hiyori KonSumo wrestler
Aïssata LamMicrofinance expert and women's rights advocate
Soo Jung LeeForensic psychologist and advocate for anti-stalking bill
Fei-Fei LiPioneer of artificial intelligence who encourages women and minorities to build AI
Erika LustFilmmaker
Lauren MahonCancer survivor and podcaster
Julie MakaniTreatment of Sickle Cell Disease
Lisa MandemakerDesigner of prototype artificial womb
Jamie MargolinClimate change activist and co-rounder of Zero Hour movement
Francia MárquezAfro-Colombian environmentalist and leader of 10-day, 350-mile women's march
Gina MartinCampaigner to make upskirting illegal in England and Wales
Sarah Martins Da SilvaFertility researcher
Raja MezianeAnti-government songs about social injustice, alleged corruption and inequality-
Susmita MohantySpaceship designer, entrepreneur and passionate climate action advocate
Benedicte MundeleFresh food entrepreneur
Subhalakshmi NandiGender equity researcher and campaigner
Trang NguyenWildlife conservationist
Van Thi NguyenCo-founder of the Will to Live Center
Natasha NoelBody positivity influencer
Alexandria Ocasio-CortezYoungest woman elected to Congress
Farida OsmanFirst woman in Egypt to win a swimming medal
Ashcharya PeirisBlind fashion designer and motivational speaker
Danit PelegFashion designer of 3D-printed clothing
Autumn PeltierClean water advocate
Swietenia Puspa LestariFounder of the Divers Clean Action Foundation and anti-straw campaigner
Megan RapinoeAdvocate for equality in football
Onjali Q. RaúfWriter and founder of Making Herstory
Charlene RenClean water advocate
Maria RessaJournalist and founder of Rappler website to expose fake news
Djamila RibeiroWriter and Afro-Brazilian women's rights advocate
Jawahir Roble
UK's first Muslim, black, female, hijab-wearing referee
Najat SalibaAir pollution research
Nanjira SambuliWorld Wide Web Foundation digital equality expert
Zehra SayersChair of the SESAME project
Hayfa SdiriEntrepreneur and UN gender equality campaigner
Noor ShakerArtificial intelligence innovator
Bonita SharmaFounder of The Social Changemakers and Innovators
Vandana ShivaEnvironmental leader and winner of the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize
Pragati SinghIndian Aces, an online community for asexual people
Lyubov SobolAnti-corruption activist
Samah SubayLawyer supporting families whose children have 'disappeared'
Kalista SyScreenwriter of television series Mistress of a Married Man
Bella ThorneActress and director
Veronique ThouvenotLeader of the Zero Mothers Die initiative
Greta ThunbergClimate change activist
Paola VillarrealComputer programmer who developed Data for Justice
Ida VitaleFifth woman to win Cervantes Prize for lifetime writing achievement
Purity WakoLife coach empowering women
Marilyn WaringFeminist economist and environmental activist
Amy WebbFuturist
Sara WesslinSkolt Sami journalist who lobbied for government funding for Sami language teaching
Gina ZurloExpert in religion statistics

2018

The 2018 list was announced in November 2018. The list included the 27th Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Stacey Cunningham who runs the New York Stock Exchange and Shaparak Shajarizadeh who challenged the Iranian law that requires women to wear the Hijab.
ImageNameCountry of birthDescription
Abisoye Ajayi-AkinfolarinSocial impact entrepreneur, Nigeria
Esra'a Al Shafei Bahrainleads not-for-profit Majal.org
Svetlana AlekseevaBurns survivor
Lizt AlfonsoDirector and choreographer, Cuba
Nimco Ali
Somaliland
FGM activist in Somaliland
Isabel Allendewriter
Boushra Yahya Almutawakelphotographer
Alina Anisimovastudent programmer at Kyrgyz Girls' Space School
Frances ArnoldNobel Prize winning chemical engineer
Uma Devi BadiLeader of the Badi movement and member of the Provincial Assembly in Nepal
Judith BalcazarFashion designer and co-founder of Giggle Knickers
Cindy Arlette Contreras BautistaLawyer who works against domestic violence as the face of the NiUnaMenos
Leyla BelyalovaAcademic and ecologist, seeking to protect Uzbekistan's birdlife and mountain ecosystems
Analia BortzDoctor, rabbi and bioethicist treating women with fertility problems
Fealofani BruunTraditional Polynesian navigator and qualified yachtmaster
Raneen BukhariCurator, gallery manager, and business developer
Joy BuolamwiniArtificial intelligence artist and researcher
Barbara BurtonFounder and CEO of BehindBras, a charity that supports women prison leavers
Author, living with cerebral palsy
Chelsea Clintonwriter and organiser
Stacey CunninghamNYSE President-
Jenny Davidson CEO of Stand Up Placer
Asha de VosMarine biologist
Gabriella Di LaccioSoprano and founder of DONNE: Women in Music
Xiomara DiazEntrepreneur and charity founder
Noma Dumezweni
eSwatini actor
Chidera Eggerue"The Slumflower" blogger
Shrouk El-AttarElectronics design engineer-
Nicole EvansEarly menopause
Raghda EzzeldinFree diver
Mitra FarazandehArtist advocate for people with physical disabilities
Mamitu GasheSenior nurse aide and fistula surgeon
Meena GayenBusiness owner and road builder
G.E.M.
Singer-songwriter
Fabiola GianottiParticle physicist and director general of CERN
Julia Gillard27th Prime Minister of Australia
Elena GorolovaSocial worker, campaigning against forced sterilisation
Randi Heesoo GriffinOlympic ice hockey player and data scientist, advocate for equal pay for women in ice hockey
Janet HarbickAltruistic surrogate
Jessica HayesTheology teacher and consecrated virgin
Thando HopaModel, lawyer and diversity and inclusion advocate
Hindou Oumarou IbrahimEnvironmentalist and advocate for indigenous people and women
Reyhan JamalovaEntrepreneur, founder and CEO of Rainenergy, company that collects energy from rainwater
Jameela JamilBritish actor who founded @i-weigh
Liz JohnsonParalympian gold medal swimmer and entrepreneur, with a recruitment agency aiming to close the disability employment gap
Lao KhangRugby player and coach
Joey Mead KingModel and television presenter
Krishna KumariWomen's rights campaigner elected to Pakistan Senate
Marie LaguerreCivil engineer and architecture student, who has developed platform where women can share stories of street harassment
Veasna Chea LethLawyer, first woman to study law in Cambodia
Ana Graciela Sagastume LópezWomen and Femicide Special Prosecutor
Maria Corina MachadoPolitical leader who has campaigned to safeguard democratic processes in Venezuela
Nanaia MahutaMinister of Maori development, first female parliamentarian to wear a Maori face tattoo
Sakdiyah MarufFirst female Muslim stand-up comedian
Nujeen MustafaSyrian refugee, activist, and a campaigner on behalf of refugees with disabilities
Lisa McGeeNorthern Irish playwright and the writer and creator of Derry Girls
Kirsty McGurrellCharity co-ordinator of 4Louis, providing memory boxes for bereaved parents of stillborn babies
Becki MeakinGeneral manager of Shaping Our Lives, advocate for people with disabilities
Ruth MedufiaFemale welder acting as role model for young women in the construction industry
Larisa MikhaltsovaAccordion music teacher who became a model at age 63
Amina J. MohammedDeputy secretary general, United Nations
Yanar MohammedPresident of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq
Joseline Esteffania Velasquez MoralesStudent and NGO co-ordinator, campaigning to end forced marriages
Robin MorganAuthor and activist, founder of The Sisterhood Is Global Institute and the Women's Media Center
Dima NashawiArtist, clown and visual storyteller, who collects and reflects tales from Syria
Helena NdumeOphthalmologist who has performed sight-restoring surgeries upon 35,000 Namibians, free of charge
Kelly O'DwyerMinister for jobs and industrial relations, and minister for women in the Australian parliament
Yuki OkodaAstronomer, first person to discover a new star that could shed light on the origins of our solar system
Olivette OteleProfessor of History at Bath Spa University, England
Claudia Sheinbaum PardoMayor of Mexico City and Nobel Peace Prize-winning physicist
Park Soo-yeonDigital campaigner against sex crimes
Ophelia PastranaComedian and media personality
Viji PalithodiActivist who founded a women's union in Kerala
Brigitte Sossou PerenyiDocumentary producer
Vicky PhelanExposed the Irish Cervical Check Screening scandal
Rahibi Soma PopereFarmer and founder of Seed Bank, India collecting indigenous seeds
Valentina QuinteroJournalist promoting tourism and the environment through television programs
Sam RossCatering assistant and advocate for people with Down syndrome
Fatma SamouraSecretary General of FIFA
Juliet SargeantGarden designer
Sima SarkarFull-time mother of 18-year-old disabled child
Shaparak ShajarizadehActivist against compulsory hijab rule, now in exile
Haven ShepherdSuicide bomb survivor and Paralympic hopeful
Nenney Shushaidah Binti ShamsuddinFemale Syiriah judge
Hayat SindiBiotechnologist, Unesco goodwill ambassador for science and founder of the i2 Institute for imagination and ingenuity
Jacqueline StraubTheologian, journalist and author seeking to become a Catholic priest
Donna StricklandProfessor of Physics, University of Waterloo, Canada and winner of Nobel Prize in Physics, 2018
Kanpassorn SuriyasangpetchMental health advocate and app developer
Setsuko TakamizawaLearning English to help tourists at Tokyo's 2020 Olympic Games
Nargis TarakiNGO legal adviser who campaigns for female empowerment
Ellen TejleCampaigner for awareness of women's representation in film
Helen Taylor ThompsonAIDs Hospice founder
Bola TinubuLawyer who established the first free children's helpline in Nigeria
Errollyn Wallen
Opera composer and performer
Safiya WazirCommunity activist
Gladys WestMathematician, instrumental in developing GPS
Luo YangArt photography series on Chinese girls since 2007
Maral Yazarloo-PattrickFashion designer and motorcyclist
Tashi Zangmo BhutanExecutive director for the Bhutan Nuns Foundation
Jing ZhaoEntrepreneur running online sex education network

2017

In 2017 the women on the list will be part of the 100 Women Challenge, tackling some of the biggest problems facing women around the world. Coming together in four teams, the women will share their experiences and create innovative ways to tackle:

Female illiteracy team

Street harassment team

Sexism in sport team

2016

The 2016 theme was Defiance. Part of the 100 Women festival took place in Mexico City on this year. The 2016 list was published in alphabetical order.
ImageNameNationalityDescription
Alicia KeysSinger, songwriter, pianist, actress, record producer and philanthropist
Aline Mukovi NeemaStudent activist for political change
Amna SuleimanProtester against custom that stops women cycling
Amy RokoComedian who became known via Instagram and Vine
Asel SadyrovaArcher
Ashwaq MoharramDoctor dealing with starvation in Hudaydah
Babs FormanLondon based make-up artist who covers up skin problems
Becci WainFormer self-harmer who challenged supermarket policy
Carmen Aristeguijournalist
Carolina de Oliveira
Mental health activist
Cat HulbertProfessional gambler
Chan Yuen-tingfootball manager
Chanira BajracharyaFormer "living goddess" or Kumari
Churan ZhengWomen's rights activist arrested for planning protest against sexual harassment on public transportation
Cindy MestonClinical psychology professor
Conchi Reyes RiosBullfighter :es:Conchi Ríos|
Corinne MaierFrench writer
Dalia SabriBlind music teacher
Denise Ho
Pop icon
Doaa el-AdlCartoonist of cat whose stories reflect the news
Dwi HandaFashion star
Egge KandeCommunity leader who advises young girls about education
Ellinah Ntombi WamukoyaFirst woman to become a bishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa
Erin McKenneyScience award winner
Erin Sweenyrape psychologist
Evelyn MirallesNASA engineer
Funke Bucknor-ObruthePlanner of glitzy and celebrity weddings
Gcina MhlopeAuthor, poet, playwright and storyteller
Gouri ChindarkarComputer engineering student of the "School in the Cloud"
Heather RabbattsChief Executive of the London Borough of Lambeth
Heloise LetissierFrench singer and songwriter known by her stage name Christine and the Queens
Ieshia EvansBlack protester
Isabella Springmuhl TejadaFashion designer
Iskra LawrenceModel-
Jamilah LemieuxCultural commentator
Jane ElliottAnti-racism activist
Janet Ní ShuilleabháinAbortion rights campaigner
Jeanette Wintersonnovelist
Judi AubelSocial entrepreneur
June Eric-UdorieStudent activist
Karima Balochindependence campaigner
Kartika Jahjagender-equality singer
Katherine JohnsonSpace scientist who was a mathematician for NASA
Kathy Murray"surrendered wife"
Khadija IsmayilovaJournalist
Lhakpa SherpaMountaineer who has climbed Everest seven times.
Liliane LandorBBC journalist
Liv LittleMagazine editor
Lois StrongCheerleader
Lubna TahtamouniScience campaigner
Lucy Finchhospice founder
Mallika Srinivasantractor manufacturer
Mao KobayashiCancer blogger
:es:Mariana Costa Checa|Mariana CostaBusinesswoman
Marne LevineCOO of Instagram
Marta Sánchez SolerSociologist
Marta Vieira da SilvaFootballer
'Mary'Survivor of al-Shabab rape
Mary AkramiRefuge founder
Megan Beveridge
First female "lone piper" at the Edinburgh Tattoo
Mercedes DorettiForensic anthropologist who investigates crimes against humanity
Morena HerreraAbortion activist
Nadia KhiariCartoonist of ‘Willis from Tunis’, whose adventures are about the news
Nadiya HussainWinner of reality show "Bake Off" – went on to television jobs
Naema AhmedStart-up manager
Nagira SabashovaWrestler
Natalia Ponce de LeonAcid attack victim
Nay el-RahiHarassment tracker
Neha SinghCampaigner who encourages women to ignore harassment and reclaim the public space
Omotade AlaladeInfertility foundation creator
Ou XiaobaiApp developer which links gay and lesbian people for marriages of convenience
Pashtun RahmatPolice officer
Paula HawkinsThriller writer of "Girl on the Train"
Prathiba ParmarBritish film maker
Rachida DatiPolitician
Rakefet Russak-AminoachBanker
Rebecca WalkerWriter and activist
Reham el-HourCartoonist who became professional after winning a UNESCO competition in 2000
Renee RabinowitzLawyer who sued the El Al airline when she was asked to move as the man next to her objected to sitting by a female passenger
Saalumarada Thimmakka105 year old environmentalist who has managed trees
Seyhan ArmanTransgender activist
Sherin KhankanImam
Shirin GeramiFirst woman triathlete in Iran
Shriti VaderaBanker who served as UK minister
Sian Williams
Wales
Rugby player
Simone BilesOlympic gymnast
Stephanie HarveyProfessional e-gamer "missharvey"
Stephanie Yim BellKorean-American professional wrestler known as Jade
Sunny LeoneActress
Traci HoupapaCompany director
Um-YehiaNurse
Viktoria ModestaIconic pop artist
Winnie HarlowModel
Yasmine MustafaEntrepreneur
Yuliya StepanovaWhistle-blowing athlete
Zoleka MandelaWriter – survivor of addictions, sexual abuse and cancer. Grand daughter of Nelson Mandela.
Zulaikha PatelThirteen year-old who took stand for young girls with natural hair
Tess AsplundAnti-fascism activist caught in iconic photo resisting fascists-
Thuli MadonselaAdvocate who combats corruption-
Maria ZakharovaForeign ministry spokeswoman

2015

The BBC News 100 Women list in 2015 was made up of many notable international names, as well as women who were unknown, but who represented issues women face. The women of 2015, were from 51 countries and were not necessarily those who would traditionally have been seen as role models—a woman suffering from depression, a woman who advocates for equal access to bathroom facilities, a woman who encourages other women to avoid make-up, and a reindeer nomad.
ImageNameCountryOccupation
Nicola Adamsboxer
Muzzon al-MellehanActivist
Siba AlaradiStructural engineer
Antonia AlbertEntrepreneur
Sonita AlizadehRapper
Victoria AlonsoperezEntrepreneur
Niloufar ArdalanFootballer
Paulina ArreolaEntrepreneur
Masoumeh AtaeiAcid attack survivor
Xyza BacaniPhotographer
Alimata BaraTrader
Sana Ben AshourCivil society activist
Nicola BenedettiMusician
Meryl BenitahEntrepreneur
Fatou BensoudaInternational Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor
Asha BhosleSinger
Cecilia BouzatBiophysicist
Bobbi BrownMake-up artist and entrepreneur
Naomi Bya’OmbeStudent
Rivka CarmiGeneticist
Massiel ChávezStudent
Eveles ChimalaMidwife
Estela de CarlottoHuman rights activist
Nkosazana Dlamini-ZumaPhysician and chair of the African Union Commission
Isabel dos SantosInvestor
Leimin DuongBeer entrepreneur
Ernestina Edem AppiahSocial entrepreneur, founder Ghana Code Club
Aissa Edon
Midwife
Jana ElhassanNovelist
Nawal el-SadaawiWriter
Paula EscobarMagazine editor
Monir FarmanfarmaianArtist
Claire FoxWriter and broadcaster
Elissa Freiha
Entrepreneur
Uta FrithPsychologist
Melanie GoldsmithEntrepreneur
Alina GrachevaCamerawoman
Megan GranoComedian
Alice GrayScience blogger
Sara Jane HoEntrepreneur
Michaela HollywoodFundraiser for the disabled
Ella IngramActivist for mental illness anti-discrimination
Ayesha IshtiaqStudent
Somayya JabartiNewspaper editor
Azza JadallaNurse
Misraa JimaaHealth extension worker
Samantha JohnEntrepreneur of Hopscotch company
Kamini KaushalBollywood actress
Tahmina KohistaniOlympic sprinter
Rimppi KumariFarmer
Linda KwambokaEntrepreneur
Tina LavenderMidwife
Zihan LingEntrepreneur
Zimasa MabelaNaval captain
Emi Mahmoud
Poet
Catherine MahuguJewelry entrepreneur
Amara MajeedHijab activist and author
Nemata Majeks-WalkerWomen's rights activist
Katrine MarcalWriter and journalist
Karabo MathangEntrepreneur
Muniba MazariArtist and anchorwoman
Jessy McCabeStudent
Sania MirzaTennis player
Brit MorinEntrepreneur
Smriti NagpalEntrepreneur
Pauline NgEntrepreneur
Delaney OsborneStudent
Bel PesceEntrepreneur
Verashni PillayNewspaper editor
Irina PolyakovaParalympian
Elsa Prieto
Entrepreneur
Cristina RandallEntrepreneur
Claire ReidEntrepreneur
Jenni RhodesTextile designer
Nikita RidgewayEntrepreneur
Neyda RojasNun
Lubov RusskinaReindeer nomad
Rabia Salihu SaidPhysicist
Amina SbouiWriter and women's rights activist
Lorrana ScarpioniEntrepreneur
Louise SchwartzShowgirl and cabaret performer
Patricia Scotland, Baroness Scotland of AsthalTrade envoy
Mumtaz ShaikhHuman rights activist
Nareen ShammoPolitical activist and journalist
Rasha ShehadaManufacturing director
Zuzanna StańskaEntrepreneur
Michelle SunEntrepreneur
Hilary SwankActress
Julie SygielEntrepreneur
Rotana TarabzouniSinger/songwriter
Kanika TekriwalEntrepreneur
Lizanne TeoEntrepreneur
Jana TepeEntrepreneur
Li TingtingHuman rights activist
Sophie WalkerLeader of the Women's Equality Party
Alek Wek
Fashion model/UN ambassador
Xian XuEntrepreneur
Tin Tin YuTeacher
Marie-Ange Zimndou KoutouNurse's aide in a war zone
NourRefugee

2014

The BBC News 100 Women list in 2014 continued the efforts of the first year's initiative.
ImageNameCountryOccupation
SDr Yasmin AltwaijriMental health and obesity scientist
Conchita WurstSinger
Laura BatesFounder, Everyday Sexism project
Pinky LilaniFounder, Asian Women of Achievement Awards
Ruby ChakravartiWomen's rights campaigner
Susie OrbachPsychotherapist
Pontso MafetheWomen's programme manager, Comic Relief@pontso_mafethe
Kate ShandManaging director of Enjoy Education
Shappi KhorsandiComedian
Shazia SaleemFounder ieat Foods
Wai Wai NuDirector, Women Peace Net
Michaela BergmanChief Counsellor for Social Issues, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Paula MorenoFounder of peace foundation Manos Visibles
Rubana HuqTextile manufacturer
Lucy-Anne HolmesFounder, No More Page Three campaign
Brianna StubbsRower for Great Britain and Oxford PhD Scientist
Matilda TristamComics writer
Nigar NazarCartoonist@NigarNazar
Sharmeen Obaid ChinoyDocumentary film-maker
Uldus BakhtiozinaPhotographer
Lesley YellowleesFirst female president, Royal Chemistry Society
Rebecca GompertsFounder, Women on Waves
Katherine BrownAcademic, Kings College London
Emily KasyokaBoxer, Kenya
Aowen JinChinese-born British artist
Eliza RebeiroFounder of Lives not Knives
Muge IplikciJournalist
Natumanya SarahEducator
Linda TiradoCampaigner
Alice HaganTechnician at healthcare company BTG
May Tha HlaFood aid social worker
Rainatou SowFounder of Make Every Woman Count
Justa CanaviriCelebrity chef, Bolivia
Heather JacksonWomen's business campaigner
Ruby WaxMental health campaigner and comic
Umm AhmedSole provider for her family
Xiaolu GuoNovelist and film-maker
Hind HobeikaFounder of Instabeat
Molly CaseStudent nurse and Women of the Future Ambassador
Joyce BandaFormer President of Malawi
Saadia ZahidiManaging Director at the World Economic Forum
Aditi MittalStand-up comedian
Jess ButcherCo-founder of Blippar
Farah MohamedGirls 20 summit founder
Katy TuncerFounder, Ready Steady Mums
Smruti SriramFounder, Wings of Hope & Achievement Awards
Darshan KarkiOpinion-piece editor at Kathmandu Post daily, blogger
Brooke Magnanti
Anthropologist, author, former sex worker
Chipo Chung
Actor and activist
Pinar OguncJournalist writing about women's issues and the Kurdish political movement
Sabina KurgunayevaFootballer who also runs her own bicycle rental business
Kate WilsonFounder of independent children's book publisher in UK
Betty LalamDirector of women's community organisation
Arabella DormanWar artist
Andy KawaBusinesswoman and social entrepreneur
Bahia Shehab
Artist, designer and art historian
Divya SharmaScience student
Jocelyn Bell BurnellScientist who discovered Pulsars
Eleni AntoniadouCo-Founder Transplants Without Donors
Shelina Zahra JanmohamedBlogger, columnist and author
Salinee TavarananEngineer and social entrepreneur
Hatoon KadiComedian
Brie Rogers LoweryDirector of Change.org
Balvinder SaundChair of Women's Sikh Alliance
Cora SherlockPro-life campaigner and blogger
Alaa Murabit
Founder, The Voice of Libyan Women
Bushra El-Turk
Composer for London Symphony Orchestra
Kim WinserFounder, Winser London
Arzu Geybullayevablogger
Judith WebbFirst female commander of an all-male British Army squadron@sjbwebb
Sarah HestermanEqual rights campaigner
Sana SaleemPakistani campaigner against Internet censorship
Asma MansourCo-founder of Tunisian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
Diana NammiKurdish women's rights campaigner against "honour" killing
Funmi IyandaTalk show host, journalist, activist
Karen MastersScientist at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation
Khuloud SabaResearcher and public health worker
Yolanda Wang YixuanWomen's rights campaigner
Ayesha MustafaFounder and director of FashionComPassion.co.uk
Obiageli EzekwesiliFormer World Bank Vice President for Africa and Former Minister for Education
Tehmina KaziDirector of British Muslims for Secular Democracy
Sophi TranchellHead of Divine Chocolate
Boghuma Kabisen TitanjiVirologist and campaigner for ethical medical research
Dwi Rubiyanti KholifahWomen's movement leader
Anjali RamachandranHead of Innovation at PHD
Yas NecatiCampaigner for better sex education
Yeonmi ParkActivist raising awareness of the plight of her people in North Korea@YeonmiParkNK
Irene LiCitizen journalist who took part in and documented protests
Sandee PyneChief executive of Community Partner's International, focused on aid
Temie Giwa
Founder of the One Percent Project, facilitating blood donation
Kavita KrishnanSecretary, All India Progressive Women's Association
Sarah KhanFilmmaker and campaigner
Nicky MoffatHighest Ranked woman in British Armed Forces
Alice PowellRacing driver and first female to win a Formula Renault Championship
Misty HaithResearch Engineer at Imperial College London
Sally SabryBusinesswoman
Kate SmurthwaiteComedian and activist
Susana LopezVirologist specialising in rotavirus
Jaya LuintelJournalist and women's rights advocate
Nicola Sturgeon
First Minister of Scotland

2013

The 2013 event was a month-long BBC series that took place in October. The series examined the role of women in the 21st century and culminated in an event held at BBC Broadcasting House in London, United Kingdom on 25 October 2013 involving a hundred women from around the world, all of whom came from different walks of life. The day featured debate and discussion on radio, television and online, in which the participants were asked to give their opinions about the issues facing women.
The event held on 25 October 2013 featured 100 women from all walks of life.
ImageNameOccupation
Salwa Abu LibdehPalestinian television journalist
Madawi Al-RasheedSaudi academic and gender expert
Nadia Al-SakkafEditor, Yemen Times
Sreymom AngCambodian fashion designer
Anna ArrowsmithEnglish porn film director
Joyce Aoko ArugaStudent teacher in Kenya
Moe Thuzar AungMyanmar state broadcast
Rehana AzibLondon-based barrister
Firuza AliyevaAssociate Director, Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy
Zainab Hawa BanguraUN special representative on sexual violence in conflict
Michaela BergmanChief Counsellor for Social Issues, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Claire BertschingerAnglo-Swiss nurse whose work inspired Live Aid
Ingrid BetancourtFrench-Colombian former politician and FARC hostage
Cherie BlairBritish barrister and philanthropist
Emma BoninoMinister of Foreign Affairs, Italy
Yvonne BrewsterStage director, teacher and writer
Gurinder ChadhaBritish-Asian film director
Nervana MahmoudEgyptian blogger and commentator
Irina ChakrabortyRussian-Finnish-Indian engineer
Shadi SadrIranian lawyer and human rights defender
Chipo ChungChinese-Zimbabwean actor and activist
Helen ClarkHead of UN Development Programme, former New Zealand Prime Minister
Diane CoyleEconomist, writer and blogger
Caroline Criado PerezBritish journalist and feminist campaigner
Jody Dayfounder of Gateway Women, a network for childless women
Es DevlinBritish theatre designer
Klara DobrevHungarian lawyer and economist
Efua DorkenooGhanan Senior Advisor to Equality Now and campaigner against female genital mutilation
Sigridur Maria EgilsdottirIceland's champion debater
Marwa El-DalyEgyptian grassroots activists, founder of the Waqfeyat Foundation
Bushra El-TurkBritish-Lebanese composer
Obiageli EzekwesiliSenior adviser, Open Society Foundation
Caroline FarrowCatholic writer, blogger and pro-life activist
Anne Stella FomumbodWomen's rights activist, Cameroon
Teresa ForcadesRadical Spanish nun
Razan GhazzawiSyrian blogger and activist
Rebecca GompertsDutch doctor, head of Women on Waves
Tanni Grey-ThompsonWinner of 11 Paralympic Games gold medals
Parveen HassanConservative women's organiser, UK
Barbara HewsonSenior barrister, UK
Anis HidayahIndonesian activist working on migrant worker rights
Deborah HopkinsBritish mother and political activist
Rose Hudson-WilkinJamaican born British priest
Bettany HughesHistorian, author, broadcaster
Rubana HuqBangladeshi textile manufacturer
Leyla HusseinCo-founder, Daughters of Eve, anti-violence campaigner
Heather JacksonCEO of An Inspirational Journey and Founder of The Women's Business Forum
Shelina Zahra JanmohamedBlogger, columnist and author
Laura Janner-KlausnerMovement rabbi, specializing in Reform Judaism
Aowen JinChinese contemporary artist
Andy KawaSouth African businesswoman, anti-violence campaigner
Tehmina KaziDirector, British Muslims for a Secular Democracy
Jude KellyArtistic Director, Southbank Centre
Fereshteh KhosroujerdyVisually impaired Iranian singer
Azadeh KianIranian academic and genderspecialist
Kanya KingCEO and founder, Mobo
Fawzia KoofiMP and former Deputy Speaker, Afghan National Parliament
Dina KorzunRussian actor and charity activist
Martha Lane-FoxUK technology entrepreneur
Paris LeesTransgender broadcaster
Ann LeslieJournalist
Sian LindleyResearcher in social technology
Pontso MafetheProgramme manager, Comic Relief
Brooke MagnantiUS anthropologist, author, former sex worker
Mmasekgoa Masire-MwambaDeputy Secretary General, the Commonwealth
Shirley MeredeenFounding member, Growing Old Disgracefully
Samar Samir MezghanniRecord-breaking young Tunisian writer
Shazia MirzaBritish comedian
Aditi MittalIndian comedian
Rosmery MolloIndigenous Bolivian activist
Orzala Ashraf NematAfghan scholar and civil society activist
Pauline Neville-JonesFormer UK Security and Counter-Terrorism Minister
Susie OrbachPsychotherapist and author
Mirina PaananenIslamic researcher
Claudia Paz y PazAttorney General, Guatemala
Mariane PearlFrench journalist, founder of Chime for Change
Laura PerrinsStay-at-home mother
Charlotte RavenBritish feminist and journalist
Gail RebuckChief executive, Random House UK
Justine RobertsFounder, Mumsnet
Sarah RogersVoice of Women community radio, Sierra Leone
Fatima SaidBritish-Egyptian pro-democracy advocate
Balvinder SaundChair of Sikh Women's Alliance
Kamila ShamsieUK-based Pakistani writer
Divya SharmaIndian electronics and communications engineer
Bahia ShehabLebanese-Egyptian artist, designer and art historian
Joanna ShieldsChair and CEO, Tech City Investment Organisation
Stephanie ShirleyBusinesswoman and philanthropist
Clare ShortBritish politician, former International Development Secretary
Jacqui SmithFormer UK Home Secretary
Kate SmurthwaiteBritish stand-up comedian and activist
Rainatou SowGuinean founder, Make Every Woman Count
Louise StephensonTrainee counsellor, UK
May Tha HlaFounder, Helping The Burmese Delta
Natasha WalterBritish feminist writer and campaigner
Judith WebbFirst female commander of all-male British Army squadron
Saadia ZahidiHead of Gender Parity and Human Capital, World Economic Forum
Dinara ZhorobekovaStudent, Kyrgyzstan
Gemma GodfreyBoard director, broadcaster
Martina Navratilova18-time Grand Slam singles tennis champion

Other participants