This week inspiring leaders and activists from around the globe—including Nobel winner Leymah Gbowee, Angelina Jolie, Madeleine K. Albright, IMF chief Christine Lagarde, and many more—will gather in New York City to kick off Newsweek and The Daily Beast’s third annual Women in the World Summit.
Hosted by Newsweek and The Daily Beast, Tina Brown will join with co-hosts Leymah Gbowee, Sheryl Sandberg, Meryl Streep, Diane von Furstenberg, Jane Harman, Lauren Bush Lauren, Nizan Guanaes, Maya L. Harris, Mellody Hobson, and Judith Rodin for the three-day event. IMF chief Christine Lagarde will share her insight into the global economy’s next act. Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni will talk to historian Simon Schama about Israel on the brink. Mexican congresswoman Rosi Orozco will recount her battle against sex trafficking. We’ll also welcome as moderators Barbara Walters, Christiane Amanpour, Andrea Mitchell, Lesley Stahl, Robin Roberts, Cynthia McFadden, Martha Raddatz, Charlie Rose and Juju Chang.
While not yet household names, many of this year’s participants will again be making headlines as we reveal their role in today’s most riveting news stories:
- The joint head of the U.K.'s Forced Marriage Unit will describe the dramatic rescue of a British bride from Islamabad, where she was forced by her family to marry against her will—illuminating a disturbing trend in which Western parents abduct their daughters and send them abroad to wed.
- As Africa undergoes enormous political, economic, and social changes, women are poised to become powerful leaders. Cameroon’s former presidential candidate Kah Walla will offer insight into female politicians’ meteoric rise.
- Domestic workers make up a global economy worth billions of dollars—yet tens of thousands are trapped in appalling conditions. We’ll hear from one woman who escaped oppressive employers and now fights for “the help.”
- Valerie Jarrett, chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, will discuss what the latest research reveals about the role and promise of women in the economic recovery.
- With Burma’s elections weeks away, we may soon see a dramatic turning point for women in the homeland of Nobel winner and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Tina Brown will interview Melanne Verveer, U.S. ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues, about what’s at stake.