Marking the International Women's Day centenary, the League of Jewish Women hosted a diverse panel at its Bloomsbury offices.
Discussing "Opportunity knocks, but does it for women everywhere?" former BBC correspondent Rachel Ellison spoke about a radio project she had established for women from Afghanistan.
One member of her team was beaten so badly by her husband that her internal organs collapsed and her teeth were knocked out. The reason was that she had a job and her husband did not.
Luiza Khudaykulova highlighted the plight of women in Uzbekistan and Mami Mizutori discussed opportunities for women in Japan and how she had navigated the system to forge a career in the diplomatic service.
She said the expectation remained for men to work long hard hours and for women to remain at home. More Japanese women were educated to a higher level but this did not translate to the workplace.
In her vote of thanks, Dawn Freedman expressed disappointment that Japanese women were struggling for equality.
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