Join us for a critical panel discussion hosted in collaboration with the Evening Standard and The London Community Foundation. This timely session delves into the alarming escalation of sexist abuse and violence against women and girls within educational settings, an issue magnified by the pervasive reach of misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate. Our expert panel will explore the profound impacts this rise in sexism has on both male and female students and will debate the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders—government bodies, educational institutions, media, and parents—in addressing and mitigating this pressing issue.

Speakers:

Ebinehita Iyere is a Therapeutic Youth Practitioner and the founder of Milk Honey Bees, a creative and expressive safe space for Black girls to flourish and put H.E.R (Healing, Empowerment and Resilience) first. Milk Honey Bees is rooted in the creativity,celebration and liberation of Black Girlhood by amplifying the voice and visibility of Black Girls in all facets of life. Her experience in the youth sector led Ebinehita to work with over young women and girls who are often deemed as hard to engage. Through Milk Honey Bees, at least 60% of the girls have stayed in long-term education and gained employment opportunities. She is also an author currently bringing the voices of young Black Girls to the forefront with her anthology Girlhood Unfiltered, which was released in November 2022. Ebinehita is also a public speaker, and has been featured on a number of platforms such as TedxLondon, Vogue, Whatsapp, Samsungl, Superdrug, BBC 1Xtra and WOW Foundation.

Jon Yates is the Executive Director of the Youth Endowment Fund which is the UK’s leading authority on what works to prevent young people becoming involved in violence. Jon has been the founder of a number of charities – including the UK’s National Citizen Service and a senior government adviser after starting his career at McKinsey and Company. He sits on the board of Ofsted, the Children’s Commissioner and UK Youth and is the author of ‘Fractured: How we learn to live together’.

Dame Rachel de Souza is the current Children’s Commissioner for England, appointed to the role in 2021. In this role, she promotes and protects the rights of children, especially the most vulnerable, and advocates for their views and interests. She is a British educationalist and former headteacher who founded the Inspiration Trust, a multi-academy trust based in Norfolk, where she served as CEO until taking up her current position.

Steve Chalke founded the Oasis Trust back in 1985 with a vision to build inclusive local communities. Oasis is now one of the largest charities in the UK, as well as working in a host of other countries. It provides housing, education, healthcare, various other community-building initiatives and this spring will open the UK’s first Secure School, a therapeutic alternative to a youth prison for violent young people. Steve is also an author, speaker, former UN Special Advisor on Human Trafficking and a Baptist minister. He holds an MBE and various honorary fellowships, all awarded for his work in social inclusion and justice. He still leads Oasis and is also the founding minister of Oasis Church Waterloo in central London – a place of inclusion where all are welcome.

Moderator: 

David Cohen is the investigations and campaigns editor on the Evening Standard. He is co-founder of the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund, which has raised almost £60m to tackle poverty, inequality and exclusion in London over 15 years and is the winner of multiple press awards, including the prestigious Paul Foot Award for investigative and campaigning journalism, and the Cudlipp Award and Campaign of the Year at the British Press awards. He is a Harkness Fellow and the author of three books, one of which, People Who Have Stolen From Me, was a number one bestseller in South Africa.

Attendance is restricted to Conduit members

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