WOW 2013 - Individuals can change the world

Every issue needs a spokesperson. Yes, it does help if they are already a well known public figure or they hold a position of established power but sometimes when circumstance dictates, a single everyday person can be thrust into a position of leadership.

To change the world you need a good reason, the belief that you can make a difference and the resolve to stick with that belief even when the going gets tough.

Speaking within the session entitled International Activism, Sarah Brown began by stating that "politics is personal". She believes that "if women are not safe" from harassment of all kinds then they will be restricted in their efforts to "fulfil their potential".  We should be equipping girls with the skills and confidence to take the opportunities that come their way. I fully believe that this statement works over and above gender but we were at a conference about women and certainly in other cultures girls do not have the same access to, and freedom within, education as we have in the UK.

Sarah Brown

Sarah continued by pointing out that education allows people to understand their own health and well-being.  This was very much reflected by the ladies of SEWA in the earlier session on economy. Access to education can be the gateway to learning about water, sanitation, common preventable disease and resource management. Once these issues are being addressed, a community's standard of living is likely to improve vastly; they will gain greater independence and become sustainable in the long term.

Next up, Baroness Valerie Amos who believes that social media has allowed women to connect with each other to share and discuss issues that their location, circumstance or culture may have otherwise prevented. Valerie has experienced the stories of countless women through her work with the UN and says she often feels helpless when their circumstance are presented to her.

Particularly hard to listen to was the story of a woman who was trying to come to terms with the fact she had physically sold her daughter. The woman had felt this was the only option available to her to shield her daughter from the abuse she was likely to receive without the security of male protection.

Gordon Brown followed, speaking passionately about the need to address equality in educational rights. I'd only ever seen Gordon speak on television about political issues when he was Prime Minister. I have to say that after seeing him speak at WOW, I have a much greater respect for him.

Gordon Brown

He spoke about the need for true gender equality, acknowledged his wife, Sarah as his friend and mentor before admitting that for real change to happen, "men must change". He conveyed his belief that men and boys must both be taught and ultimately realise that women are of equal importance to them. Not a threat to their position but an equal and balancing one.

Ziauddin Yousafzai

Finally Ziauddin Yousafzai took to the lectern to speak of a girl's right to an education. If you are not sure who he is, then apart from a peace campaigner, he's the father of Malala, whose story you can read about via the link at the end of this post.

"Some cultures have fathers in search of a son... they do not celebrate birthdays of daughters."

Ziauddin quoted the old saying that behind every great man is a woman but said that he believes women need to take a step forward and stand side by side with men. Ziauddin lives by his own words too. "I honour my daughter as a personal and as an individual. My wife is not my property and I honour and trust her." Ziauddin added that a men's world is troublesome and full of wars suggesting that giving more 'space' to women would bring about a more prosperous and peaceful world. Men command and control. Women are more about collaboration and inclusion.

Ziaddin finished with his words for the future. Honour. Trust. Educate.

If you'd like to see the full session, you can! The Southbank Centre kindly filmed it.

Sarah Brown is patron of the White Ribbon Alliance, founder of PiggyBankKids, Chair of Global Business Coalition for Education and tweets from @SarahBrownUK.

Valerie Amos is UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator and tweets from @ValerieAmos.

Gordon Brown is former Prime Minster of the UK and for more on his latest projects visit his website.

Ziauddin Yousafzai is an education activist and peace campaigner from Pakistan whose daughter was shot for wanting the right to an education. You can learn her story here or follow the campaign using twitter hash tag #iamMalala