Update, 7th May, 2021: India is facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and medical catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. Due to the tragic crisis caused by the second wave of Covid, we have decided to reschedule this event until August 2021. A new announcement will be made closer to the date. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
This summer, brilliant minds will come together to brainstorm grassroot solutions for peace, gender equality, social justice and a unified South Asia.
South Asia Union Summit Led by Women and organised by eShe magazine is designed to amplify women’s voices and create a space for dialogue while harnessing feminine intelligence and the energy of the youth.
After the phenomenal success of eShe’s Indo-Pak Peace Summit Led by Women held in January 2021, where over 40 eminent women and over 300 delegates from around the world came together to discuss peace across the Line of Control, this second Summit by eShe sets the bar higher and covers a broader canvas to discuss a unified South Asia.
Held over a weekend in May, the virtual Summit will have talks, interviews, workshops and six panel discussions by women of purpose from around South Asia and the world. Speakers will include business leaders, writers, activists, educationists, artists, pop culture icons, thought leaders, historians, policy analysts, youth voices and so on.
Our goal is to:
- Generate ideas for peace in South Asia from the grassroot levels
- Create a platform for women’s leadership and constructive dialogue
- Channelize feminine energy and spirit of cooperation for a greater cause
Date: 15th and 16th May, 2021
Time: 4-8 pm India time, both days
Venue: Online
Panel 1 – Pathbreaking Education: Raising Global Citizens of a Digital World
Panel 2 – Not Repeating History: Lessons from the Past for the Future
Panel 3 – The Burden of Tradition: Gender Equality and Social Justice in South Asia
Panel 4 – Feminist Lens: Women’s Visibility and the Culture of Silence
Panel 5 – Focus on Youth: Empowering Humanistic Leaders of Tomorrow
Panel 6 – Open for Business: Peace, Economic Growth and Regional Prosperity
Plus talks, interviews and discussions of eminent personalities from around the world.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Dr Scilla Elworthy, author, peacebuilder and three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, UK
- Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, Padma Shri awardee, educationist and peacebuilder, India
- Hina Jilani, internationally renowned civil society activist and lawyer, Pakistan
- Karen Downes, co-founder of FemmeQ, Costa Rica
- Beena Sarwar, editor of Aman ki Asha, Indo-Pak peace activist, USA
- Rita Manchanda, peace activist, scholar and author, India
- Nadia Samdani, philanthropist and founder of Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh
- Juhi Javed Husain, civil servant and policy advisor, UK
- Sabin Muzaffar, feminist publisher, UAE
- Raaheela Ahmed, elected official, USA
- Mehr Tarar, journalist, Pakistan
- Kalsoom Lakhani, venture capitalist with a focus on Pakistan, USA
- Tara Krishnaswamy, founder of Shakti initiative to increase women’s participation in politics, India
- Natasha Badhwar, peace activist, filmmaker and author, India
- Suparnaa Chadda, founder of Grant Thornton SABERA awards, India
- Saba Gul, tech entrepreneur, Pakistan
- Saloni Chopra, actor and feminist author, Australia
- Kay Newton, award-winning motivational speaker and author, UK
- Khushi Kabir, feminist activist and environmentalist, Bangladesh
- Mandy Sanghera, award-winning philanthropist and human-rights activist, UK
- Faiza Yousuf, technologist and founder of WomeninTechPK and CodeGirls, Pakistan
- Dr Sonora Jha, journalism professor and author, USA
- Shahneila Saeed, director, Digital Schoolhouse, Head of Education, Ukie, UK
- Peggy Mohan, linguistic expert, author and educator, India
- Monica Malhotra Kandhari, managing director, MBD Group, India
Complete schedule and speakers on eShe.
In the meantime, here’s a glimpse into eShe’s Indo-Pak Peace Summit Led by Women, January 2021. (Click here for the full coverage.)
South Asia Union 