Advanced Television

Wonder Women Conference 2025 unites female leaders to champion change

September 29, 2025

The third edition of the Wonder Women Conference brought together over 20 trailblazing female leaders, creatives, and on-screen talent from across the TV, film and creative industries at BFI Southbank for a day of inspiration, industry insight and empowerment on September 26th.

Hosted by Wonder Women CIC, the pioneering women’s network that champions the elevation of diverse women into senior leadership, the annual flagship event welcomed delegates currently working in mid-to-senior level roles across television, film and the wider creative industries. The one-day programme featured four dynamic panels – Women at the Top in Film & TV, Warner Bros Discovery Access UK, How to Rise: Everything I’ve Learnt, and Positive Disruptors – alongside a Leadership Masterclass with Remi Olajoyegbe, a fireside chat with broadcaster and author Anita Rani, and a special screening of Nicola Leddy’s bold new short film Boobs.

Delegates heard first-hand insights and solutions from senior leaders at organisations including Rita Daniels (Channel 4), Debbie Ramsay (5 News), Jennifer Sobol (Warner Bros Discovery), Emily Stillman (Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden), Emma Cassidy (Warner Bros. Discovery Creative EMEA), Lisa Opie (ScreenSkills/ Ubisoft Reflections), Sarb Nijjer (Banijay UK), Sreya Biswas (BBC), Ali Hill (Motion Entertainment), Emma Crosby (Sky), Daisy Church (Media Trust), Anna Higgs (Character 7), Broadcaster & Journalist Jacqueline Shepherd, Olympian Michelle Griffith Robinson, Actor Zoe Birkett, Waterloo Road Series Producer Lindsay Williams, screen sector specialist Mariayah Kaderbhai, Laura Winson (Zebedee Talent), Nishma Patel Robb (Glittersphere), Charlotte Stavrou (SevenSix Agency), Lulu Featherstone (Self Love Movement), Author Elina Teboul and more.

Best known for BBC One’s Countryfile and The One Show, broadcaster and author Anita Rani joined Wonder Women founder Ria Hebden for an intimate fireside conversation, where she reflected on the importance of diverse representation and the challenges faced by women in media, and her hopes for the next generation of women in television, saying: “I’m consistently hearing, how do we get different voices within the BBC? How do we do it? Well, they’re (out) there. But getting through the door is one thing. It’s retaining the careers once you’re in the door. That’s the difficulty, right? It’s actually moving through the ranks, getting through the structures that are in place, getting beyond people’s, you know, subconscious bias, whatever it is, that’s where the work needs to be done.”

Throughout the day, speakers addressed the systemic challenges women continue to face in the TV and screen industries, particularly those from underrepresented and marginalised backgrounds. Panels explored pressing topics including the importance of representation in leadership positions, AI, recruitment, childcare, while also providing practical strategies for leadership, resilience, and career progression.

The conference also hosted an exclusive screening of the short film Boobs in NFT1, supporting director Nicola Leddy and providing a platform for her work on a topic deeply resonant with the Conference’s delegates. The bold, intimate documentary, produced by Invisible Thread Films, reclaims the narrative around the female body, embracing diversity in race, gender, disability, age, and sexual orientation. At its centre is Irish artist Geraldine Carton’s empowering project of painting 100 nude breast portraits from the female perspective, reframing body image through empowerment and resilience.

Reflecting on the event, Wonder Women founder Ria Hebden said: “The Wonder Women Conference has once again shown that bringing together influential leaders and women from across the industry is a powerful call to action. We will not simply accept the status quo of women leaving the industry because they are unsupported in their career development. The Conference provides a vital space to connect, be inspired, and feel valued, while also hearing directly from accomplished senior leaders who offer practical insights, encouragement, and a renewed sense of possibility. This year, we created an environment that addressed difficult industry issues while celebrating women’s creativity, resilience, and achievements. It was incredibly rewarding to bring together such talented and diverse voices for a day of learning, reflection, and empowerment, and we are deeply grateful to the BFI and our sponsors for helping make this year’s conference possible.”

Designed to tackle retention head-on at a time when marginalised women remain at risk of leaving the industry, the Wonder Women Conference provided delegates with practical advice, knowledge sharing, skills uplift, and curated networking opportunities. More than a conference, the event fostered a vital community of support, reigniting passion for the industry during challenging times.

Now in its third year, the Wonder Women Conference is the flagship event of Wonder Women CIC, the pioneering network dedicated to advancing diverse women in TV, film, and the creative industries. Against a backdrop of mounting global setbacks to DEI, the 2025 programme delivered a powerful mix of thought-provoking discussions, career insights, skills development, a hands-on masterclass, and curated networking. With marginalised women still at risk of leaving the industry, the event was designed to tackle retention head-on – supporting career progression, building lasting peer networks, and equipping attendees with the tools, confidence, and inspiration to thrive.

The Wonder Women Conference 2025 is made possible by leading industry sponsors including WBD Access UK, WWP Media, Channel 4, Banijay, All3, Prime Video Pathway and the BFI awarding National Lottery funding, with Audio Network as the official music partner.

Launched by Ria Hebden in 2017, Wonder Women was born out of the industry’s need for structural and holistic support for intersectional underrepresented women in TV. Now operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC), the organisation offers a growing ecosystem of support, including live events, a podcast, monthly online networking, and the UK’s only year-long mentoring programme of its kind.

Wonder Women is guided by an esteemed advisory board of senior female leaders across media, law, coaching, and production, including: Nicole Marie Joseph (Various Artists Limited), Nicola Hill (Orchard Studios), Remi Olajoyegbe (Systemic Leadership Coach), Hayley Brady (Herbert Smith Freehills), Anne-Marie Douglas (Peer Power Youth), and new board members Tolu Akinsanya (Media Relations Expert) and Katrina Strauss (Alix Partners).

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