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Girls I Rate to host gala dinner on International Women’s Day
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 26 February 2018
The third annual Girls I Rate gala dinner will take place on International Women’s Day next week.
Founded by songwriter Carla Marie Williams in 2016, Girls I Rate provides networking opportunities and support for women working in the creative industries. The annual gala dinner is open to 100 women and will this year be hosted by radio and TV presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford. There will also be a performance from ‘grime violinist’ Tanya Cracknell and a DJ set from BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Melody Kane.
“I founded Girls I Rate to celebrate, inspire and empower, and by doing so redress the lack of female representation and recognition in the creative industry”, says Williams. “Experiencing first hand the imbalance and inequality, I was compelled to create a movement that is a platform for pushing for positive change and establishing a stronger female presence now and for the next generation of female talent”.
She continues: “Three years in, I’m so proud of what GIR has achieved, but the gender diversity gap still exists, and so does the glass ceiling. With important recent causes such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #Vote100 and #WomenInMusic, the groundswell of support for women’s equality has grown and grown, but there is still much work to be done and as long as change is needed, then GIR still has a purpose”.
Finally, she says: “The gala event on International Women’s Day is pivotal to the cause. I urge the industry to get behind it. I’ve been fortunate to have some influential men support and champion my work and Girls I Rate, I think it’s important for men to use their male privilege to help push gender equality forward. But above all, when women support women, anything is possible. I can’t wait to bring all my girls together!”
One of the women already signed up to attend, Alexandra Burke, adds: “The Girls I Rate movement is so important for the industry and Carla’s work is vital, especially in the current climate. I am proud to be a part of it and be an advocate for positive change in gender equality”.
Sponsored by Vevo, the event takes place at 100 Wardour Street in Soho on International Women’s Day, 8 Mar.
