Voice & Vote Private View and Summer Reception

This year the summer soiree took on a new dimension as we joined with Vote100 to celebrate and enjoy the extraordinary new exhibition in Westminster Hall. 

Voice and Vote: A Woman's Place in Parliament has been created to commemorate the centenary of the first women gaining the vote. 

We first heard from Mari Takayanagi and Melanie Unwin, who not only had the brilliant idea but also succeeded in delivering on their vision.

Alongside this amazing celebration we collected messages from guests to add to the Pink Shoe Time Capsule.

We began with top notch iced tea and cakes for a super-sized EqualiTea.

Then of course we enjoyed a superb buffet, accompanied by plenty of pink fizz and sparkling elderflower.

International Symposium

At the House of Lords we heard from some extraordinary speakers sharing ideas and experiences on international diplomacy and protocol in Islam. 

Lord Ahmed warmly welcomed guests then we heard from Shah Morris who  opened proceedings with a short film about the vital work of NAAM around the world. 

Roger Harrison spoke engagingly of his own vision and introduced Yvonne Ridley, who gave an inspirational insight into her time as a captive and how she has used the experience to the good, focusing on the importance of women's rights around the world.    

Karena Kyne then stretched our perspectives and finally we enjoyed a fascinating talk from David Dum​ke about his time as adviser to Obama.

After the roundtable we had an excellent afternoon tea, with plenty of time to network and continue the discussion.

Summer Lunch

An annual treat for Pink Shoe is to enjoy summer lunch on the terrace and this year was no exception. Our final buffet took place on splendidly sunny day and Sheila did an amazing job of organising us all. The food and service were as exceptional as ever and we were literally spoiled for choice. 

It was great to share conversation with longstanding ambassadors and new members too. The perfect way to end the week and celebrate the 'end of term'.

Chatham House International Policy Forum

Once again the Chatham House annual policy forum on Gender was held in Whitehall. It brought together global leaders and key influencers to engage with the work of the W20 and consider key policy ideas for next year’s G20 Summit.

The overarching theme was No Going Back: Making Gender Equality Happen.

Practical outcomes were sought and a range of international speakers and highly talented panels explored deliverable solutions. Topics under discussion included Closing the Gender Gap; Women in Public Life; Commonwealth developments; and from the World Bank, Women, Business and the Law.