Christy Turlington Burns and Livia Firth Speak Up For Women's Rights At The Trust Women Conference

An international conference, aimed at putting the rule of law behind women's rights with concrete action, took place this week in London, with high-profile speakers, including Christy Turlington Burns and Livia Firth.

The Trust Women Conference took place on 18 and 19 November in London, bringing together global corporations, lawyers, and pioneers in the field of women's rights to take action and forge tangible solutions to better empower women. High-profile guests included Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan and the actress Clémence Poésy.

The conference was organised by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the media giant, which has a focus on women's empowerment and plays a leading role in the fight against human trafficking. The two-day event covered a range of topics, including how to make cities women-friendly, slavery, economic empowerment, and women's access to finance and land. 

Speakers included feminist campaigner Laura Bates, and eco entrepreneur Livia Firth, who discussed the human cost of a bargain: slavery in the supply chain. 

Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts, concluded the conference by co-hosting a special evening dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking and child slavery. This included a screening of #Choosetosee, a short film produced by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which depicts a number of scenarios where children are exploited. The #Choosetosee project is part of End Child Slavery Week, and aims to shed light on the horrors affecting 5.5 million children across the world. 

'Child slavery is at an all-time high and most countries deny its existence. Every day, children as young as five are sold on the black market at prices lower than cattle and forced to work for up to 20 hours per day,' says Monique Villa, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 'More than 30 million people are enslaved worldwide, trafficked into brothels, forced into labour and even born into servitude and debt bondage. It’s a $150 billion business and everyone has a part to play to fight this silent crime and eradicate modern day slavery.'

Visitors to the project's website can sign a global petition calling for the eradication of child slavery and can donate to high-impact initiatives dedicated to fighting slavery. 

Image by Daniel Leal-Olivas/Thomson Reuters Foundation.