Reykjavík Global Forum - Women Leaders 2019

Women leaders from around the world gathered in Reykjavik, Iceland, for discussions throughout the day on Tuesday, November 19, and Wednesday, November 20.

Streaming Schedule: Tuesday, November 19

Welcome to the Champion of Equality Between Women and Men!

● Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland

● Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, Speaker of Alþingi, Parliament of Iceland

Welcome to the Community of Actions

• Silvana Koch-Mehrin, President & Founder of Women Political Leaders
  

Setting the Scene

What are the key challenges that leaders face as we approach the third decade of the 21st century? These may include macro issues like climate change, mobile populations, artificial intelligence, trade wars, the slowing pace of growth or others. This session will frame the Forum in the current global context.

Conversationists include:
●      Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia (2010-2013), Member of CWWL
●      Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist, IMF
●      Jacqueline Hunt, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE
Moderated by: Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, Senior Advisor, UN Women; Chair of the Board, WPL

Lessons of Leadership

●  Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of Lithuania (2009-2019), Chair Emerita of the Council of Women World Leaders (2014-2019), Member of the Council of Women World Leaders

●  Oby Ezekwesili, Presidential Candidate (2019), Minister of Education (2006-2007), and Minister of Solid Minerals (2005-2006), Nigeria; Vice-President for Africa at the World Bank (2007-2012)

Moderated by: Laura Liswood, Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders

Generation Equality

The year 2020 will mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995, the visionary agenda – endorsed by 189 governments – for the human rights of women and girls everywhere. UN Women's "Generation Equality" campaign demands equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to sexual harassment and violence against women and girls, health care services that respond to their needs, and their equal participation in political life and in decision-making in all areas of life. This session will consider the progress made since 1995 and the work that still needs to be done.

Conversationists include:
●   Anita Bhatia, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women
●  Patricia Milligan, Senior Partner and Global Leader of When Women Thrive and Multinational Client Group, Mercer
● Afke Schaart, VP and Head of Europe, Russia and Eurasia at GSMA
● Catherine Gotani Hara, Speaker of the Parliament, Malawi

Moderated by Christine Heenan, Founder and President of the Clarendon Group

The Power Of ... Turning Grief Into Action

●  Sawyer Garrity, Student, Frost School of Music, University of Miami, Co-founder, ShineMSD

Generation Disrupted: Earning Trust, Finding Meaning & Building Skills

Millennials and Gen Zs now make up half of the earth's population. Together, they account for most of the global workforce. What they think, believe, buy and do or don't do is disrupting old norms and transforming society. Growing up in a world of accelerated transformation leaves millennials and Gen Zs feeling unsettled about the future. Despite global economic growth, expansion and opportunity, younger generations are wary about the world and their place in it. This uncertainty is reflected in their personal views on business, government, leadership and the need for positive societal change agents. But they remain hopeful and lean on their values as both consumers and employees.

This panel discussion will address the urgent need for business and government to work collaboratively to support and empower gen Z and millennials. How will business and government bear the shared social responsibility to prepare the next generation of young people for the future? How can they empower women and girls? How can institutions join forces to regain the trust of this critical cohort and future through education, skills-building initiatives and beyond.

Conversationists include:
●   Michele Parmelee, Global Chief People & Purpose Officer, Deloitte
●  Victoria Budson, Founding Executive Director of the Women and Public Policy Program, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
●  Serena Saunders, Expansion Associate at Pay Our Interns, Running Start Delegate, #Girl2Leader Delegate
Moderated by Elaine Quijano, Anchor for CBS News

Acting on the Evidence: Confronting Society's Prejudice Toward Female Leadership

The Reykjavik Index for Leadership asks the question: how comfortable is society with women as leaders? The evidence it provides illuminates the extent of prejudice against female leadership across multiple economic sectors, in government, politics and business, and in every country in the world so far studied. This panel discussion brings together leaders with international experience in government, civil society and business to discuss how to we can move beyond the evidence and acknowledge that public policy is not enough. From how we manage everyday prejudice in the workplace, to how we can bring about change in society and in the home, our panelists will discuss their professional and personal perspectives on how we confront this aspect of social and economic discrimination and shape a better future.

Conversationists include:
●  Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of Plan International and Co-Chair of the Reykjavík Global Forum
●  Jane Geraghty, CEO, Landor
●  Hiltrud Werner, Member of the Board of Management, Integrity and Legal affairs, Volkswagen AG
●  Uzra Zeya, President and CEO, The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP)

Moderated by Michelle Harrison, Global CEO of Public Division, Kantar

Is Digital a Yellow Click Road to a New Business Oz?

Accessing capital, identifying mentors, building skills, developing professional networks, gaining seats in management and on boards. These are some of the hurdles women entrepreneurs disproportionately face in their career paths. Will the digital revolution clear the road for female entrepreneurs of the 21st century in ways their 20th century predecessors couldn't even imagine?

Conversationists include:
●   Ann Cairns, Vice Chairman, Mastercard
●  Joanna Santinon, UK & Ireland Sponsoring Partner for Entrepreneur of the Year, and Chair, EY's Women's Network, EY
●  Shandana Gulzar Khan, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan (TBC)

Moderated by Alessandra Galloni, Global Managing Editor, Reuters

The Power Of ... Hope 

● Bana al-Abed, Author Dear World, age 10

Peace is Not For the Faint of Heart

● Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate, Founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Chair of the Nobel Women's Initiative

Streaming Schedule: Wednesday, November 20

Gender Based Violence: The cost of inaction and the opportunities for action

Setting the scene by Mariana Frenk Knaul, Student Advocate, #Girl2Leader Delegate

GBV is a pandemic. It defies geographic, social and economic boundaries. The consequences for equity, health and economies? Dire. Voices break silence: 1 of every 5 women report being sexually abused as children. Over one billion people - 1/3 of women and girls - experience GBV in their lifetime. The immediate cost: 2% of GDP. An annual loss of US$1.6 trillion, equivalent to throwing away the economies of Spain and Portugal. What is the cost-of-inaction? The SDGs? The long-term, inter- generational burden is huge. Yet, so are the benefits of halting GBV. How? Interventions spanning prevention to survivorship that take an all-of-society approach, inclusive of children and all gender identities. What will spur legislators, finance ministers, and heads-of-state to invest the resources to halt this pandemic? Do we have the knowledge to invest resources effectively? What are the promising strategies and opportunities for action? Our discussion will help launch the new Lancet Commission on Gender-based Violence.  

Conversationists include:
● Sandie Okoro, Senior Legal VP and General Counsel for the World Bank Group
● Espérance Nyirasafari, Vice-President of the Senate of Rwanda, Minister of Sports and Culture, Minister of Gender and Family Promotion (2016-2018)
● Flavia Bustreo, Chair of the Governance and Nomination Committee at The Partnership of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) and Fondation Botnar Board Member

Moderated by Felicia Knaul, Chair of the Lancet Commission on Gender-based Violence, Director of the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas at the University of Miami

Invest Smarter, Live Healthier 

● Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization
● Malak Azmirly, Youth Council Member at Plan International Sweden, #Girl2Leader Delegate

The Power Of ... Overcoming Fear

● Dina Kaplan, Founder, The Path

Change-making to "live happily ever after" 

● Mabel van Oranje, Chair, Girls Not Brides

Power, Together Community of Actions

13.50 - 14.00 GMT / 8:50 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET

● Silvana Koch-Mehrin, President & Founder of Women Political Leaders

● Christy Tanner, EVP & GM, CBS News Digital and Co-Chair of the Reykjavík Global Forum

Journalism and Society: Politics, Press and Platforms

In conversation: Maria Ressa, award-winning journalist, author and CEO of Rappler, and Time 2018 Person of the year, interviewed on the main stage by Elaine Quijano, anchor of CBSN's evening politics program 'Red & Blue,' on journalism's role in creating a more equal society and the democratizing power of a free press. 

The Power Of ... Self-love 

● Mama Cax, Disability & Body Positive Advocate

Moving Mountains, Cleaning Oceans

Each year, millions of tonnes of trash are dumped into the ocean, along with other forms of pollution, including chemicals from agriculture and fuel. What are the impacts of this -- on the environment and on human societies? Will the oceans ever be clean again? In this session, we will discuss the problems associated with ocean pollution, and we will deliberate on what we can do to reverse it. Will ever-improving technology and international cooperation return the oceans to a clean place?

Conversationists include:
● Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius (2015-2018), Member of CWWL
● Sonja Schenkel, Founder Paititi Lab
● Lana Popovic, President for Central & Eastern Europe, The Coca-Cola Company

Moderated by Donna Leinwand Leger, Digital Media Leader & Former Managing Editor of USA Today

Leadership: Staying Positive Through Thick And Thin

● Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, President of Croatia, Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders (CWWL) and Co-Chair of the Reykjavík Global Forum
● Larissa Kennedy, Advocacy and Campaigns Officer at Plan International, #Girl2Leader Delegate

Awards Ceremony

15.25 - 16.20 GMT / 10:25 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. ET

WPL Trailblazer Award
In the presence of Vigdis Finnbogadottir, President of Iceland (1980-1996), the world's first democratically elected female President.

Presented by Girl2Leader Delegates
● Beatriz Merino, Prime Minister of Peru (2003)
● Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia (2010-2013)
● Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius (2015-2018)

Power, Together. Awards 2019
Every year at the Reykjavík Global Forum, outstanding initiatives and movements where people join forces for great change are awarded. For 2019, the Reykjavík Global Forum is proud to give the POWER, TOGETHER. AWARDS to the following initiatives:

End Period Poverty Movements
Reykjavík Global Forum will bring together inspirational initiatives that are working in their communities and abroad to empower women, break down the stigma of menstruation, and push for policy change.
#FreePeriods
African Coalition for Menstrual Health Management (ACMHM)
AFRIpads
AYZH
Be Girl
Cocoro Advanced Lingerie for Periods
Days for Girls (DFG)
Femme International
FRANK Water
Grow & Know
Huru International
Irise International
McKinsey Design
The Menstrual Health Hub (MH hub)
New Inventions - Jayaashree Industries
Period. The Menstrual Movement
Period Pride - Keep our GIRLS in School
Sanitary Aid Zimbabwe
The Case For Her
The Kwek Society
Tina Pads
WASH United
WaterAid
WoMena

Nobel Women's Initiative
The focus of the Nobel Women's Initiative on harnessing the collective wealth of women's leadership and experience to provoke concrete change and create opportunities for women's empowerment in areas of peace and security is exemplary.

Closing Remarks

16.20 - 16.30 GMT / 11:20 a.m.  – 11:30 a.m. ET

● Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland
● Silvana Koch-Mehrin, President & Founder of Women Political Leaders
● Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, Senior Advisor, UN Women; Chair of the Board of WPL