The World Economic Forum's annual event in Davos will be chaired exclusively by women, including International Monetary Fund director Christine Lagarde and IBM's chief executive Ginni Rometty.

The seven women will co-chair the four-day event in January under the theme "creating a shared future in a fractured world".

The all-female line up has been announced following past criticism over the lack of female representation at the conference. WEF said in a statement: "The co-chairs represent both the public and private sectors, international organisations, organised labour, academia and science as well as civil society and social entrepreneurship."

Once a year, for a week in January, the small town of Davos in the Swiss alps is home to the WEF conference, where many of the world's business leaders, economists, politicians, and a smattering of celebrities gather to discuss a specific theme that is decided following consultation between the WEF and its members, as well as discussions with economists and journalists.

This year, around 3,000 people, including 50 heads of state and government, will attend the 48th annual meeting to explore the root causes of, and pragmatic solutions for, the many political, economic and social fractures facing global society today, the WEF said.