You WIL Summit Empowers Future Female Leaders with Global Participation

The Young Women Into Leadership (You WIL) summit is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of female leaders. Organized by the European and International Affairs Team at Birmingham City Council, Aston University, and the US Embassy in London, the week-long event took place from July 22nd to 29th. This year, 75 girls aged 14 to 16 participated, including those from Birmingham’s partner cities such as Lyon, Changchun, Milan, Frankfurt, and Johannesburg, as well as from Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine), India, and South Africa. Emphasizing diversity and inclusivity, the summit saw over half of its participants coming from Birmingham’s most deprived wards. Each day focused on a different theme, including Women in Politics and Public Service, Business, Sport, STEM, and Culture and Media.

The summit featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including Captain Preet Chandi, the first woman of color to complete a solo expedition to the South Pole, concert pianist Di Xiao, MP Paulette Hamilton, activist Prof. Helen Pankhurst, and former Olympic ice champion Jayne Torvill. Politically championed by Birmingham City Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Sharon Thompson, the initiative provided participants with mentorship from experts at Aston University and the University of Birmingham. The program concluded with participants presenting their projects online to US Embassy staff and senior political representatives from Birmingham.