“Women should be the lead actors of their own stories.”

Demet Egvar was named the Ambassador for UN Women Turkey at a time when the country quit the landmark treaty of the Istanbul Convention, a treaty preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. While tradition might still be a key influence in society, it is not without its female disruptors of the present situation, who bravely challenge the status quo and forge their own opportunities.

Explore Istanbul’s tradition with Zeynep Fadillioglu, who disrupted the exclusively male domains of architecture and religion by designing the first Mosque designed by a female architect in the Muslim World. Meet Princess Nilhan Osmanoğlu of the former Imperial family of the Ottoman Empire and discover how her family transformed and found new opportunity in business. Learn from Esra Bezircioğlu, the President of the Women Entrepreneurs’ Association based in Istanbul, whose organization impacts 8% of the Turkish GDP, about the resilience and determination required to succeed in a system that limits the opportunity of female leadership.

Join us on this exploration that celebrates seizing opportunities, navigating change, and breaking barriers and all of that with the magical backdrop of the city Istanbul. A city on 2 continents, with different names – Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul – a history of more than 2,000 years in a breathtaking setting.