The Girls I Rate movement, which supports the work of women across the music industry, has announced a star-studded event to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The gala dinner and fundraiser will be attended by Alexandra Burke, Ray BLK and Kanya King MBE, and will feature a performance from grime violinist Tanya Cracknell and a DJ set from BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Melody Kane.
TV presenter Sarah Jane Crawford will host the event, which takes place on 8 March at 100 Wardour Street, London, for 100 women across the music industry.
Grammy Award-nominated songwriter Carla Marie Williams (pictured), who has penned tracks for Beyonce, Britney Spears and Paloma Faith, is the brains behind the Girls I Rate movement.
The not-for-profit organisation now boasts 2,000 members and provides a platform for women and the next generation of girls with its Arts Academy, a weekend hub of learning and development for women aged 16 to 30.
The organisation also hosted the #GetHeard A&R and Songwriting weekender that has engaged with 1,000 young women, and also programmes regular panels and masterclasses to encourage career development, collaboration, networking and support.
Williams said: ‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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!’
The gala dinner and fundraiser will be attended by Alexandra Burke, Ray BLK and Kanya King MBE, and will feature a performance from grime violinist Tanya Cracknell and a DJ set from BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Melody Kane.
TV presenter Sarah Jane Crawford will host the event, which takes place on 8 March at 100 Wardour Street, London, for 100 women across the music industry.
Grammy Award-nominated songwriter Carla Marie Williams (pictured), who has penned tracks for Beyonce, Britney Spears and Paloma Faith, is the brains behind the Girls I Rate movement.
The not-for-profit organisation now boasts 2,000 members and provides a platform for women and the next generation of girls with its Arts Academy, a weekend hub of learning and development for women aged 16 to 30.
The organisation also hosted the #GetHeard A&R and Songwriting weekender that has engaged with 1,000 young women, and also programmes regular panels and masterclasses to encourage career development, collaboration, networking and support.
Williams said: ‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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!’
