HOMEIntroduction
Trust Women is more than just a Conference. It is an influential international gathering with one main goal: action.
Unlike many other events focused on women’s rights, Trust Women forges strategic commitments to empower women to know and defend their rights.
Drawing on the global reach and reputation of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and the International Herald Tribune, Trust Women drives innovation and strategic partnerships by connecting those working to promote women’s rights with the legal expertise and the financial, technological and educational resources they need to achieve results.
In 2012 the first Trust Women Conference gathered over 350 delegates from all over the world to tackle issues such as human trafficking, slavery, child and forced marriage, FGM (female genital mutilation) and understand better the impact of the Arab Spring on women. Two Nobel laureates, Aung San Suu Kyi and Shirin Ebadi, opened the two-day event. Speakers included Queen Noor of Jordan, Oscar winning Sharmeen Obaid from Pakistan, and Sima Samar from Afghanistan.
Remaining true to our motto – ‘taking action’ – this year we will review our previous commitments on key issues: when culture clashes with the law, the Arab Winter for women, slavery and human trafficking. We will also broaden the debate with a special one-day focus on women’s access to healthcare.
Why come to the conference?
INSPIRATION – Learn how pioneers and innovators in the fight against gender violence are shaking things up with real-world solutions.The conference will showcase unsung heroes, stories and solutions from the ground. High-profile speakers and participants will come from all over the world to address issues that affect millions.
PARTICIPATION – Join the debate and call for action from top activists, government representatives, journalists and lawyers leading in women’s rights. Through social media and a highly interactive format, Trust Women will harness the creative energy and expertise of attendees – some of the best minds in finance, law, philanthropy, government, business and non-profits – allowing them to engage with the panelists, give feedback, ask questions, answer polls and offer assistance in real time.
ACTION AND COMMITMENTS – Meet experts and high-profile speakers with a real international impact. The main goal of the conference is to drive innovative solutions and strategic partnerships through ‘’action groups’’ that address issues which disenfranchise women and limit their potential. Leading lawyers will join most of the discussions, bringing their expertise and practical advice to bear on women’s rights. At Trust Women, you can make commitments to be part of the solution.
NETWORKING – Make the contacts you need. As well as the conference agenda sessions, Trust Women includes numerous opportunities for intimate networking at the highest level. Attending the event will provide you with the opportunity to meet up with influential leaders in an environment driven by action.
AWARD WINNING – The Trust Women Conference won two Communicator Awards. The Trust Women delegate book received the 2013 Gold Award of Excellence and this website was awarded the 2013 Silver Award of Distinction. The Communicator Awards honour excellence in all areas of marketing and communications.
- New themes for 2013
- 2012 themes
- Awards 2013
- Awards 2012
The Annual Trust Women Awards honour two leaders whose work advances innovative solutions to the challenges faced by women worldwide.
Administered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and judged by the Trust Women Advisory Board, two awards are presented annually:
The Hero Award celebrates an innovator whose bold thinking and high-impact work enables women to know and advance their rights. Nominees are judged on their leadership and the impact, scalability, and groundbreaking nature of their work. In 2013, applications for the Hero Award will be open from 2-27 September.
The Honorary Journalist Award recognizes a journalist who has made a significant contribution to the coverage of women’s rights.
The winners are acknowledged with profiles on the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Trust Women websites, and receive a cash prize of $5,000 to help further their work.
Both awards are presented at the Trust Women conference, which this year takes place on 3-4 December in London.
The Trust Women Awards 2012 promotes the conference’s main objective, to recognise and advance innovative solutions to challenges faced by women.
The Hero Award
The Hero Award was presented by Christy Turlington Burns to Dr. Judi Aubel for her innovative bold thinking and high-impact work that enables women to empower themselves.
Dr. Judi Aubel is co-founder and executive director of the Grandmother Project, an international non-profit organization that develops programmes to promote the well-being and rights of women and children in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Grandmother Project’s innovative approach to promoting change through culture, grandmothers are a key resource and communication between generations is promoted. A specialist in community health and development and in approaches that empower communities to promote their own well-being, Dr. Aubel has 20 years’ experience working with communities to strengthen their community health and education programmes and is a published author.
The Honorary Journalist Award
The Honorary Journalist Award was presented by Mariane Pearl to Lydia Cacho, who has made a significant contribution to the coverage of women’s rights in 2012.
Lydia Cacho is an award-winning Mexican journalist, author, feminist and human rights activist who has published hundreds of news articles, seven books and a collection of essays on human rights. She has received death threats for her reporting but refuses to leave Mexico, despite offers of asylum. In 2012 she published Slavery Inc., which uses investigative reporting to expose the underground economy of sex trafficking worldwide. She founded a women’s shelter in Cancun and was the first woman to bring a case before Mexico’s Supreme Court following her imprisonment on defamation charges after the publication of her book, Demons of Eden, in which she investigates child sexual abuse and pedophilia rings.
