Bianca Jagger: I want to talk about women. They just want to talk about my hair and make-up

Sunday. I woke up feeling unwell, still jet lagged from my Virgin flight from New York. Flying makes me ill since my flat in New York became contaminated with toxic mould. I attended mass at the Brompton Oratory, and after lunch I went home to pack for my trip to Hamburg, where I will be receiving a World Achievement Award from Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet president. Watching the BBC and CNN Reagan coverage brought back memories of the Iran-Contra war, a bloody period for my homeland, Nicaragua: tens of thousands of people died. The country has never been able to recover fully.

Sunday. I woke up feeling unwell, still jet lagged from my Virgin flight from New York. Flying makes me ill since my flat in New York became contaminated with toxic mould. I attended mass at the Brompton Oratory, and after lunch I went home to pack for my trip to Hamburg, where I will be receiving a World Achievement Award from Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet president. Watching the BBC and CNN Reagan coverage brought back memories of the Iran-Contra war, a bloody period for my homeland, Nicaragua: tens of thousands of people died. The country has never been able to recover fully.

Monday. Rushed to catch my BA flight to Germany. I'm due to receive an award which for four years has gone only to distinguished males such as the Pope, Simon Wiesenthal, Steven Spielberg, Ted Turner, Luciano Pavarotti, Sir Paul McCartney, Michael Douglas, and the New York Fire Department. Apparently this year the organisers realised that women also make an equally important contribution to society and have introduced a women's category. It is flattering to be chosen but I was worried that the glitter and media frenzy surrounding the event might detract from the very issues for which I was chosen to receive the award. In the end, I decided it would give me a platform from which to raise some vital and life threatening issues - discrimination, violence and injustice - which millions of woman confront every day. My fellow recipients were an impressive bunch: Christiane Amanpour of CNN, Oprah Winfrey, Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Waris Dirie, the model, Valentina Tereshkova, the first female astronaut, Agnes Wessalowski, participant in a special Olympics team, and Vivienne Westwood. As soon as I arrived in Hamburg I learnt there were problems with the travel arrangements for Whitney Houston. On reaching my hotel, the Kempinski, I headed for my room to write my speech about violence against women for the following morning's opening of the Women's World Congress, of which I was president. Still jet lagged, I got to sleep at 3am.

Tuesday. The weather is beautiful. So much for the forecast of rain all week. After opening the women's congress, I participated in a press conference with Mr Gorbachev, the mayor of Hamburg, the organisers and others. There was a good media turnout and good interest in the women's awards, but also much interest in Gorbachev's reaction to Reagan's death. As I had not eaten since my arrival I rushed back to the town hall to grab some lunch. The Whitney Houston problem continues. Realising I had yet to get my attire for tonight in check I rushed to Jil Sander's store. She just happens to have started her empire in Hamburg. That evening I continued talking to Gorbachev - through a translator. There was so much I wanted to ask him about the prolonged negotiations with Reagan which led to the end of the Cold War, his views of President George W Bush's "war on terror". I asked him if he thought the breakthroughs he reached with Reagan would have been achieved had Bush been in power, rather than Reagan. He gave a knowing smile and left me in no doubt that he believed they wouldn't.

Wednesday. I wake up to thunderous rain and lightning. Whitney Houston still hasn't arrived, the crew of her private plane having failed to arrange the necessary permits to land in Hamburg. I spent the early morning writing my closing remarks for the congress and my acceptance speech. I decide to dedicate my award to the countless women I have met in my life who have been victims of discrimination. I first learnt the meaning of discrimination watching my mother being discriminated against because she was divorced. At 7.35pm, hair and make-up complete, I headed off for the hall. As I was approaching the hall a group of women holding banners were protesting about the government plan to close one of the few available shelter facilities for victims of domestic violence. After a brief chat with them, I decided to raise the issue during my speech. Whitney has finally arrived. She was charming, and rounded off the evening by singing with her cousin Dionne Warwick. Ironically, while the organisers wanted to recognise women's accomplishments, in the end the media focused on the looks and glamour rather than the substance of the women.

Thursday. Award in hand I fly back to London, in election mode. Fifteen months ago, at an anti-war rally, I urged Blair to "listen to the voices of reason" among the British people (rather than to George Bush), and not to attack Iraq. Well, he listened to Bush, and today he will pay the electoral price.

Friday. Woke up feeling exhausted and ill. Oh dear, I've promised the IoS to put together this column. Duty calls.