The Know Daily - Tuesday 1 September 2026

_{Read in 4m 12s ∙ Listening to Ashley Cooke ∙}

We’re all still feeling blue about the loss of Dolly but it got the team thinking about all the amazing things she’s done in her time. Some of our faves are: sending over 300 million books to children around the world through her Imagination Library, donating $1 million towards coronavirus research and launching the Dollywood Foundation to decrease high school dropout rates in her home county. We love you Dolly! 🩵

🤝 The Beijing women’s conference: 31 years on

In 1995, thousands of people gathered in Beijing for a landmark global conference on women’s rights. The agreement that emerged became a blueprint for action on gender equality around the world, influencing laws, policies and campaigns.

A quick history lesson.
The Fourth World Conference on Women took place in China in September 1995, bringing together over 47,000 people at the conference and related events. Governments from 189 countries adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a global plan for advancing women’s rights and gender equality. The United Nations (UN) describes it as one of the most important international frameworks for women’s empowerment.

What did the agreement actually cover?
The Platform for Action set out 12 key areas where governments were urged to take action, including education, health, the economy, violence against women, political participation, human rights, poverty and the environment. The idea was that equality needed to be addressed across everyday life rather than being treated as a single issue. It also made a significant statement about women’s rights, describing them as human rights and calling for concrete action rather than simply setting broad ambitions.

Has much changed since then?
It has – but progress has been uneven. More women and girls have gained access to education, women’s representation in leadership has increased and countries have introduced laws and policies aimed at improving gender equality. But the UN says progress remains too slow and fragile, with persistent inequalities in areas including economic opportunity, political representation, care responsibilities and gender-based violence. 

So, what happens next?
The original Beijing agreement was never intended to be a one-off moment. Its 12 areas of action remain a framework for tackling some of the issues women and girls still face today, while newer challenges, including technology, climate change and online harms, add to the agenda. The message from the UN is essentially that the blueprint already exists; the challenge now is putting it into practice faster and making sure progress reaches women and girls everywhere.

🏛️ Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has reshuffled her top Tory team, with several senior roles changing.

• The bigger story: The Conservative leader is reshaping her shadow cabinet after James Cleverly left his role to run for London mayor. Priti Patel is being moved from shadow foreign secretary to a new international role, with Tom Tugendhat expected to take over. Mel Stride is being replaced by Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor and Stuart Andrew has been removed as shadow health secretary, with further changes expected across Badenoch’s top team.

🙇‍♀️ You’ve heard of burnout, but have you heard of “rust out”? It’s emerging as another workplace phenomenon.

💃🏼 Europe’s biggest street party wrapped yesterday and we are currently obsessing over all the incredible outfits!

🦦 An otter has been spotted in New York City’s Bronx River for the first time in over 100 years.

🎭 Actors are calling on the prime minister to introduce legislation giving every person in the UK a legal right to own their voice in an effort to curb AI cloning.

🗡️ A digital reconstruction of the face of a man who lived through the Norman Conquest has been created by researchers. 

📸 The Ocean Photographer of the Year finalists have been revealed, with 12 snaps making the cut. 

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Trivia answer: C) A museum dedicated to this animal is set to open in Norway next year.

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