100 Women 2016: New season is bigger than ever

The BBC's 100 Women season is back on 21 November and this year is bigger and more ambitious than ever before.

Highlights include a day-long "edit-a-thon" of a major website to rediscover "forgotten" women, and a five-hour live festival in Mexico City.

There will also be three weeks of thought-provoking journalism on issues from self-harming to female friendship.

And as in previous years, the season kicks off with the publication of the 100 Women List.

We choose 100 women to profile and champion - a mix of world leaders in politics, science and entertainment, as well as lesser-known inspirational women from across the globe.

"100 Women is now in its fourth year, and we are proud of the platform it has given to many inspirational women - using the reach and journalistic excellence of the BBC to highlight the challenges, opportunities and experiences of women across the world," says Fiona Crack, editor of the 100 Women season.

"This year I'm particularly looking forward to some of the stories coming from Gaza, Uganda, Nepal and Kazakhstan. We will focus on lots of difficult issues including trafficking, secondary infertility, domestic abuse, harassment and trolling," she says.

"We will also explore the inspiring attitudes of women and girls with features about reimagining 'sexist' fairy tales, harnessing the power of grandmas and how to plan a wedding for 3,000 in Africa's most populous city."

Highlights of last year's season included a piece written by Londoner Holly Brockwell about her battle to be sterilised

One highlight is a documentary called Scar. It will follow two young women, both recovering from years of self-harm, who meet to compare their paths back to health and travel to London to meet Barbara, a woman who has opened a specialist make-up clinic to help such women conceal their scars.

Other programmes which will air on BBC World News include No Longer a Goddess - incumbent and former living goddesses in Nepal discuss the pressures and expectations of such a role - and Death and Cheerleading, which follows a group of cheerleading grandmothers in Arizona embracing life in their final years.

Live events

We will hold a five-hour open festival in Mexico City featuring music, dance, theatre, debates and exhibitions on 24 November, which will be covered live on BBC World News and Facebook.

In London we are hosting a marathon editing session of a major website to rediscover some of the unsung achievements of women and girls.

Opinion pieces

Online there will be at least 10 opinion pieces by people who defy stereotypes around the globe, including a father dedicated to raising a feminist son; a gay woman who felt moved to marry a gay man to gain acceptance; and a worker who takes menstrual leave every month from her job.

The BBC's 100 Women 2016 season runs from 21 November to 9 December on the BBC News website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and World Service TV and Radio.