Best International Women’s Day Speakers & What to Expect from 2021’s Event

Throughout history, women have strived, survived, and thrived no matter the circumstance, and they continue to do so. From the suffragettes who fought for the vote, to the feminists campaigning for equal pay, women have made their mark and used their voices to create equality in each generation.

View our complete roster of speakers for International Women's Day and get in touch for a free quote.

What is International Women’s Day?

Inspired by the actions of their ancestors, and allies today, International Women’s Day was founded by the suffragettes, a day dedicated to female empowerment. With 49.6% of the world’s population identifying as female, it’s no surprise this event has gained global traction since its founding day in 1911.

Aiming to be as inclusive as possible, International Women’s Day is a celebration of all governments, groups, charities, and individuals working towards a common goal. With a focus on 10 key values, each year momentum behind the occasion grows as all genders pledge their support for the cause.

This year's theme is #ChooseToChallenge, a call to arms for people to challenge gender bias and raise awareness for equality. 

What Are the Values of International Women’s Day?

10 values have been established to set the ethos, behaviour and actions associated with International Women’s Day.

The values are:

  • Justice
  • Dignity
  • Hope
  • Equality
  • Collaboration
  • Tenacity
  • Appreciation
  • Respect
  • Empathy
  • Forgiveness

When is International Women’s Day 2021?

Taking place every year on the 8th of March, the next International Women’s Day is on Monday the 8th of March 2021.

Most Inspirational Speakers to Book for International Women’s Day 2021

Here are our top speakers to book for the event:

Karren Brady

Named one of the 50 Most Inspirational People in the World, Karren Brady, former Managing Director of Birmingham City F.C, has dedicated her career to the same values as International Women’s Day. The business mogul who regularly appears as an aid on The Apprentice, is a renowned champion of women in business. As the Chairman of Mentore, an organisation designated to harnessing female talent, and through her Sunday Times Bestseller Strong Women, Karren has paved the way for corporate equality.

Watch Karren share her experience as a female in the male-dominated industry of football:

Capital One agreed that Karren was perfectly placed to inspire their female employees.

”Thank you for taking the time to talk to the ladies at Capital One, they found your talk motivating, inspiring and refreshingly honest!”

Katie Piper

Turning adversity into the opportunity to inspire, Katie Piper survived a life-altering acid attack and now empowers others to embrace their inner beauty. After the harrowing event, that left much of her face unrecognisable, and caused blindness in one eye, Katie stepped into the spotlight in the bid to raise awareness for burns victims. Over a decade later she has been awarded the You Can 2011 accolade at the Women of the Year Awards due to her work establishing the Katie Piper Foundation and inspirational media appearances.

Hear a snippet of Katie’s emotional story, discussed here at the WE Day UK Event:

Mandy Hickson

Paving the way for women in the Royal Air Force, Many Hickson, a former pilot was only the second female to fly a Tornado GR4 on the front line. Changing the Forces’ perception of what women can achieve, Mandy fearlessly proved her worth. By leading operations with an all-male Front Line Tornado Squadron and completing 45 mission over Iraq, all whilst being a mother of two children. When looking for a role model who shows how women can wear many hats with aplomb, Mandy Hickson is the female speaker who did just that.

Here’s a glimpse of what Mandy has to offer as an International Women’s Day speaker:

Our client in International Law had this to say about Mandy at their corporate event:

"Mandy is a fantastic public speaker. She is both inspirational and extremely well prepared. Her ability to relate her own experience working under extreme pressure and in highly performing teams to everyday situations is most impressive. She tops it all with a wonderful sense of humour and great modesty. Listening to her talking about the many challenges that she has successfully overcome should be compulsory for all girls!"

Inga Beale

328 years since the insurance giant was founded, Dame Inga Beale was named the first-ever female CEO of Lloyd’s of London in 2014. A monumental moment in business history, Inga’s introduction defied gender norms for senior business positions and proved the best person would be selected for the role despite gender. Backed by nearly 40 years in the corporate landscape, as a speaker, Inga shares how she didn’t knock on doors to progress in the industry, but instead knocked them down - a true female boss.

Watch Inga discuss the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, here:

Thais Compoint

Who better than to support your team for International Women’s Day than global consultant on inclusion and diversity, Thais Compoint. As Founder and CEO of Déclic International, Thais is on a mission to highlight the importance of diversity, give actionable advice on inclusivity and prove that a varied workforce leads to a greater financial gain and a thriving business. A key part of her powerful message centres around women in the corporate environment, and as a female leader herself, she perfectly articulates the needs and wants of women.

Watch Thais on the TEDx stage discussing her work:

Nicola Adams

Nicola Adams turned boxing on its head when she stepped into the ring at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Taking to the male dominated sport and becoming the first female to win an Olympic medal in boxing, Nicola went a step further and secured the gold for the Flyweight division, showing gender stereotypes had no place beyond the ropes. As a proud member of the LGBT+ community, and a history-defining athlete, Nicola is a role model for women everywhere, who are carving their own paths.

Nicola is a natural on stage as is evident from this fireside chat:

Macquarie Group Services had rave reviews about Nicola when she attended their event:

”Fantastic! Nicola was open, honest and inspiring. It went amazingly well and we can’t wait to have her back.”

Martine Wright

Sitting three feet from a suicide bomber, losing 80% of her blood supply and being the last person rescued after the harrowing 7/7 London terror attacks didn’t stop Martine Wright living a fulfilled life. In fact, she has since become a successful Olympian, competing as the captain of the British Paralympic sitting volleyball team at the London 2012 Games. Despite enduring a double above the knee amputation, Martine has become a beacon of hope for women everywhere, and her inspirational talks instil the belief that through adversity great things can come.

Here Martine shares an insight into her inspiring story:

Martine’s story resonated with our client in the health care sector:

“She made us feel that anything is possible, so long as you have determination”

Kanya King

One of the most recognisable women in the fight for race equality, Kanya King saw a lack of representation and took the responsibility to make a change, into her own hands. Founding the MOBO Awards in 1996, the annual evening is dedicated to championing the achievements of black music artists, with Kanya at the helm as a pioneering female leader. Representing the key values of International Women’s Day, Kanya is the ideal inspiration for female leadership across the world.

Watch Kanya on stage as a speaker here:

AOL had this to say when they booked Kayna to motivate their team:

"Kanya is an inspiration to women around the world! Listening to her journey really kicked off the launch of our diversity & inclusion program. Her endless energy and positivity shines through in her speaking. Our employees left feeling motivated, invigorated and compelled to follow their dreams."

Kellie Maloney

An icon of boxing and the LGBT+ community, Kellie Maloney, who gained fame as a world-class boxing promoter, transitioned from male to female in the public eye. Changing the world’s perception of transgenderism in the process of her own transformation, Kellie proved the power of living unapologetically as yourself. Acting as an inspiration to many, Kellie’s work as a feminist and LGBT+ advocacy has seen her recognised at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards.

Here Kellie shares are story as a motivational speaker:

When booked to speak at the Evolving Club, organisers had high praise for Kellie:

"It was a great evening and Kellie was candid, down to earth and a great speaker for Evolving club. Please thank her enormously on our behalf."

Kim Phan

Sports and technology are two of the industries that have suffered from a lack of female representation, but not going forward if Kim Phan has anything to do with it. Former Director of eSports Operations for Blizzard Entertainment, Kim’s innovative work as an eSports strategist has seen her become a leader in the field. Further using her platform to encourage other women into technology roles, Kim is an advocate for women in STEM, a key ambition of International Women’s Day.

Watch Kim discuss how passion drove her career:

Book an International Women's Day Speaker

With International Women’s Day just around the corner, there’s no better time to book your speaker to support the event. Whether one listed above has inspired you, or you would like to browse the rest of our extensive selection of International Women's Day speakers, our agents can ensure you get the perfect speaker for your event. Either call 02071010553 or fill in our online contact form to speak to an agent and book today.

For more information about International Women's Day, visit the official website: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

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