Girl Up, the gender equality initiative of the United Nations Foundation, will host its global Leadership Summit virtually this year, widening access to its leadership development programming for three days. The leadership conference for young female leaders and gender equality activists will be free and open to the public this year, taking place online on July 13-15, 2020. In the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and rising activism in the United States and abroad, Girl Up is excited to convene its community of Clubs and supporters in a virtual space.
2020 marks Girl Up’s 10th anniversary and its ninth year hosting Leadership Summits for young activists around the world. This year’s Summit, presented by P&G, is themed “We Need To Talk,” pushing conversations about issues intersecting with gender equality, like representation in STEM and sports, access to education, organizing for change and how to create solutions for gender-based violence. Past Summit speakers include Cara Delevingne, Cathy Hughes, Ayanna Pressley, Monique Coleman, Charlotte Flair, Sophie Trudeau, Yara Shahidi, Ashley Graham, and Soledad O’Brien. This year’s speaker lineup will feature:
- Nadia Murad, 2018 Nobel Peace Laureate, UN Goodwill Ambassador, and Founder and President of Nadia’s Initiative
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook and Founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org
- Storm Reid, Actress and Activist
- Dr. Tererai Trent, Global Humanitarian, Author, Scholar and Educator
- Monique Coleman, Emmy Nominated Host, Actress, Champion for Young People
- Liz Plank, Author, Activist and Journalist
- Wade Davis, Thought Leader, Writer, Educator on Gender, Race, and Orientation Equality
“We’ve always considered ourselves a borderless movement, and that’s even more true in this pandemic. Community is not cancelled, and our leaders are still doing great work all around the world to create positive change for girls everywhere,” said Melissa Kilby, Executive Director of Girl Up.
The in-person version of Girl Up’s flagship Leadership Summit in the nation’s capital has brought together more than 3,000 young activists to learn the issues and lobby Congress in recent years. Girl Up expects thousands more to join this year’s Summit in an online setting. Registration is open until July 13, 2020. Visit GirlUp.org/Summit to learn more.
