Empowering women theme of global summit

"Frailty, thy name is woman," wrote Shakespeare in Hamlet, in an allusion to the perceived weakness of women. But with this year marking the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, and women comprising half the world's workers, the majority of its consumers and growing numbers of entrepreneurs, women are anything but frail. However, there is still much ground to be covered.

"Women have achieved much progress over the past centuries," says Irene Natividad, 61, a leading women's rights activist in the United States, who will bring together 1,000 women in business, government and civil society for a global summit in Beijing between May 20 and 22 to discuss women's advancement in the global economy.

"Women are still not in charge - there are only nine women heads of state in the 191 members of the United Nations and only nine women CEOs in the Fortune 500 top companies," she points out.