26 October 2014 Last updated at 18:06

Who are the 100 Women 2014?

100 Women is back. Last year the BBC kick-started its pledge to represent women better in its international news output with the 100 Women season.

But this was just the start - and today the series returns.

This year's list has more scientists and more women working in the arts. And with more than a fifth of participants under the age of 25, these are not only women to take notice of now, but ones to watch in the future, too.

Some of our women have made headlines, such Obiageli Ezekwesili, the former Nigerian minister leading the global campaign to rescue the 250 children captured by militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

Women in war

Also new to the list this year is celebrated Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst, who sparked a public outcry of love by spreading messages of tolerance after winning the Eurovision song contest in May.

We invited them to share their thoughts, experiences across three special days of output.

Please join our conversations about education, bringing up girls, women in science, entrepreneurship and women in war. We will be hearing from refugees who have built businesses in their new homes, as well as those leading soldiers on the frontline.

The conversation continues here on BBC News on radio, on television and online, bbc.co.uk/100women.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter, with the handle #100Women.

Top row (left to right)

Dr Yasmin Altwaijri Saudi mental health and obesity scientist

Conchita Wurst Singer, Austria @ConchitaWurst

Laura Bates Founder, Everyday Sexism project @EverydaySexism

Pinky Lilani Founder, Asian Women of Achievement Awards @pinkylilani

Ruby Chakravarti Women's rights campaigner, India

Susie Orbach, Psychotherapist @psychoanalysis

Pontso Mafethe Zimbabwean women's programme manager, Comic Relief@pontso_mafethe

Kate Shand Managing director of Enjoy Education @EnjoyEducation

Shappi Khorsandi Iranian-born British comedian @ShappiKhorsandi

Shazia Saleem Founder ieat Foods @shaziafsaleem

Second row (L to R)

Wai Wai Nu Director,Women Peace Net @WaiWaiNu

Michaela Bergman Chief Counsellor for Social Issues, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Paula Moreno Founder of peace foundation Manos Visibles @ManosVisibles

Rubana Huq Bangladeshi textile manufacturer @Rubanahuq

Lucy-Anne Holmes Founder, No More Page Three campaign, UK @LucyAnneHolmes

Brianna Stubbs Rower for Great Britain @BriannaStubbs

Matilda Tristam Comics writer @Colonoclast

Nigar Nazar Pakistani cartoonist@NigarNazar

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy Pakistani documentary film-maker @sharmeenochinoy

Uldus Bakhtiozina Russian photographer @Y_Bakhtiozina

Third row (L to R)

Prof Lesley Yellowlees First female president, Royal Chemistry Society

Rebecca Gomperts Founder, Women on Waves @rebeccagomperts

Dr Katherine Brown Academic, Kings College London

Emily Kasyoka Boxer, Kenya

Aowen Jin Chinese-born British artist @aowenjin

Eliza Rebeiro Founder of Lives not Knives @livesnotknives

Muge Iplikci Turkish journalist

Natumanya Sarah Educator @NatumanyaSarah

Linda Tirado Campaigner @KillerMartinis

Alice Hagan Technician at healthcare company BTG @alicehagan

Fourth row (L to R)

May Tha Hla Burmese food aid social worker

Rainatou Sow Founder of Make Every Woman Count

Justa Canaviri Celebrity chef, Bolivia

Heather Jackson Women's business campaigner @jackson_heather

Ruby Wax Mental health campaigner and comic @Rubywax

Umm Ahmed Sole provider for her family, Iraq

Xiaolu Guo Chinese novelist and film-maker

Hind Hobeika Founder of Instabeat, Lebanon

Molly Case Student nurse and Women of the Future Ambassador @RI_Macey

Dr Joyce Banda Former president of Malawi

Fifth row (L to R)

Saadia Zahidi World Economic Forum @zahidi

Aditi Mittal Indian stand-up comedian @awryaditi

Jess Butcher Co-founder of Blippar @jessbutcher

Farah Mohamed Girls 20 summit founder

Katy Tuncer Founder, Ready Steady Mums @KatyTuncer

Smruti Sriram Founder, Wings of Hope & Achievement Awards @Smruti_Sriram

Darshan Karki Opinion-piece editor at Kathmandu Post daily, Nepal blogger @wbsa

Brooke Magnanti US anthropologist, author, former sex worker @bmagnanti

Chipo Chung Chinese-Zimbabwean actor and activist @chipochung

Pinar Ogunc Journalist writing about women's issues and the Kurdish political movement @pinarbihter

Kurdish political movement

Sixth row (L to R)

Sabina Kurgunayeva Footballer who also runs her own bicycle rental business in Azerbaijan

Kate Wilson Founder of independent children's book publisher in UK @NosyCrow

Betty Lalam Director of women's community organisation, Northern Uganda

Arabella Dorman War artist

Andy Kawa Businesswoman and social entrepreneur @KwaneleEnuf

Bahia Shehab Egyptian artist, designer and art historian

Divya Sharma Indian science student @SharmaDivya23

Jocelyn Bell Burnell Scientist who discovered Pulsars

Eleni Antoniadou Co-Founder Transplants Without Donors @eleni_nasa

Shelina Zahara Janmohammed Blogger, columnist and author @loveinheadscarf

Seventh row (L to R)

Salinee Tavaranan Thai engineer and social entrepreneur

Hatoon Kadi Saudi Arabian comedian @HatoonKadi

Brie Rogers Lowery UK Director of Change.org @brie_rl

Balvinder Saund Chair of Women's Sikh Alliance, UK

Cora Sherlock Pro-life campaigner and blogger in Ireland @CoraSherlock

Alaa Murabit Founder, The Voice of Libyan Women @almmura

Bushra El-Turk British-Lebanese composer for London Symphony Orchestra @bushraelturk

Kim Winser Founder, Winser London

Arzu Geybulla Azeri blogger @arzugeybulla

Judith Webb First female commander of an all-male British Army squadron@sjbwebb

Eighth row (L to R)

Sarah Hesterman Equal rights campaigner in Qatar

Sana Saleem Pakistani minority rights and internet freedom activist @sanasaleem

Asma Mansour Co-founder of Tunisian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship @mansour_asma

Diana Nammi Kurdish women's rights campaigner against "honour" killing

Funmi Iyanda Talk show host, journalist, activist in Nigeria @Funmilola

Karen Masters Scientist at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation @KarenLMasters

Khuloud Saba Syrian activist and researcher @KhuloudSaba

Yolanda Wang Yixuan Women's rights campaigner in China

Ayesha Mustafa Founder and director of FashionComPassion.co.uk

Obiageli Ezekwesili Former World Bank Vice President for Africa and Former Minister for Education, Nigeria @obyezeks

Ninth row (L to R)

Tehmina Kazi Director of British Muslims for Secular Democracy

Sophi Tranchell Head of Divine Chocolate @divinechocolate

Boghuma Kabisen Titanji Virologist and campaigner for ethical medical research in Cameroon @Boghuma

Dwi Rubiyanti Kholifah Women's movement leader in Indonesia

Anjali Ramachandran Head of Innovation at PHD @anjali28

Yas Necati Campaigner for better sex education @YasNecati

Yeonmi Park Activist raising awareness of the plight of her people in North Korea@YeonmiParkNK

Irene Li Citizen journalist who took part in and documented protests in Hong Kong

Sandee Pyne Chief executive of Community Partner's International, focused on aid in Myanmar

Temie Giwa Founder of the One Percent Project, facilitating blood donation in Nigeria @temite

Tenth row (L to R)

Krishna Kavita Women's rights campaigner, India @kavita_krishnan

Sarah Khan Pakistani filmmaker and campaigner

Nicky Moffat Highest Ranked woman in British Armed Forces

Alice Powell Racing driver and first female to win a Formula Renault Championship @alicepowell

Misty Haith Research Engineer at Imperial College London

Sally Sabry Businesswoman in Egypt

Kate Smurthwaite British comedian and activist @Cruella1

Susana Lopez Mexican virologist specialising in rotavirus

Jaya Luintel Journalist and women's rights advocate from Nepal

Nicola Sturgeon First Minister of Scotland @NicolaSturgeon

Not pictured

Caroline Neill Worked with the military in Syria, Baghdad, Gaza and Africa hotspots

Arine Renawai Palestinian photo journalist and entrepreneur