Announcing Call for Women's Stories – The Dr Sam Collins "Stripped Back" Roadshow. Deadline Tuesday 2 Feb 2021

Please put out to girls 16-21 to speak out! 

We are pleased to announce our call for speakers for "Footsteps Global Girls Gathering", an international gathering for girls that aims to empower and unify young women and those who care for them to continue facing the most difficult global crisis in over a century.

Inspired by the poem “Footprints in the Sand”, this global event aims to encourage girls and young women to follow in the footsteps of great women who have come before them, and leave their own footprints to inspire those who will follow.

Curated and run by Dr Sam Collins, Founder of Aspire for Equality , an internationally recognised and award-winning leader in leadership events, research and coaching for women and girls who are leading change in their lives, workplaces and communities, it is aimed at girls aged 16 - 21 years old.  Adolescence, particularly mid to late adolescence, is a critical period for all young people. For girls and young women, in many countries across the world, it is a time when they are making big decisions about their education, career paths and even marriage.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has created increasing mental health, self-confidence, and well-being issues, as well as the ability to effectively navigate key life decisions, especially for girls and young women,” Dr. Collins said. “But more importantly,” Dr. Collins continued, “young women are worried that they are not reaching their potential yet they still have big ambitions and dreams about their futures."

According to the U.N. as many as 11 million girls are at risk of never returning to school as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. However, in those countries where women play a leading role in high-level decision-making,  Covid-related outcomes (including the number of cases and deaths) are significantly improved.

Learning, tools and insights will be focused in the following areas.

▪ Empowerment: Self-confidence, positive self-image, voice, and ways to speak up for self and others.
▪ Purpose: Ignite and follow through on your life’s mission by uncovering passions and unique path.
▪ Resilience: How to face fears, be courageous and to recognise and address peer pressure, bullies and bias.
▪ Wellbeing: Mental health, juggling it all, managing time and balance.
▪ Networking: Meet, learn from and create community with diverse peers around the world.
▪ Innovation: How to embrace new ideas, value differing opinions and allow others to freely express their views.
▪ Change Agent: Embrace human rights and become a force for the good in the world.
▪ Global Citizenship: Increase appreciation for the diversity of perspectives that inform different cultures.
▪ Leadership: Acquire and grow the skills to become a principled leader of the future.

Dates: Tuesday April 6th, 2021 OR Wednesday April 7th, 2021. We are running the conference twice to reach different time zones so you would speak twice but to different audiences.
           
If you are interested in speaking, please submit an application to speak here by Monday, 1st March, 2021. There will be a mix of interviews, panels and interactive sessions. Any applicants under 18 years old, need to have a parent or guardian's permission. We are seeking speakers of all ages and from all countries and backgrounds. Just to say, we do want young women to apply to speak so please do encourage the young women in your life or work to apply!
          
If you don't wish to apply but would like to to register yourself, employees or a daughter, niece, grand daughter or team member to attend the event, you can do so here (previous Aspire Conferences for Girls event sold out very quickly). The event is for girls aged 16 - 21 years old and we are encouraging parents, carers, educators and allies to attend as listeners and observers.

It's going to be AMAZING! 

Please do pass onto others that you think may be interested in speaking or attending.
 
Any questions at all, do let me know.

Kind regards,

Jen

Jennifer Jagar
Director of Programmes, Aspire for Equality
UK: 44(0) 207 556 1018 | US: (001) 310 437 8018
www.aspireforequality.co.uk