International Women's Days in UNESCO Every year in March, UNESCO celebrates International Women’s Day (March 8) by hosting a flagship programme, consisting of round-tables, conferences, exhibitions and cultural events that highlight issues relating to the empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality.

 

International Women's Day 2010 The Division for Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning is organizing a series of events, in collaboration with a diverse range of partners, that will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 8 to 19 March 2010 to celebrate International Women’s Day. You will find herafter a description of all the events organised by the Division for Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning:

News

Message from Irina Bokova Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of International Women’s Day - 8 March 2010 - (BSP/GE) "This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, a landmark event that produced the most progressive and comprehensive policy statement to date on gender equality. Beijing energized women from all walks of life and placed their empowerment at the core of the global development agenda..."

Special event – projection of a documentary film (in French), 54 minutes. - (BSP/GE) Organized by the Division for Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning, in collaboration with the Kerciné association. 15 March 2010, 11 am – 1 pm, Roopm XI

Round Table “Freedom of Expression and Women’s Rights in Africa” (16 March 2010, 10 am - 1 pm, Room IV) - (BSP/GE) This Round table is organized by the Division for Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning and the Communication and Information Sector, in collaboration with the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET). Upon invitation only. Limited places available.

Round Table on “Women and Science” : Challenges Ahead", (8 March 2010, 10 am - 1 pm, Room XI) - (BSP/GE) This Round Table is organised by the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of Spain to UNESCO, the Delegation of the European Union to OECD and UNESCO in collaboration with the Division for Gender Equality in UNESCO. Upon invitation only. Limited places available.

High Level Round Table on "Beijing + 15" - 8 March 2010, 3 to 5 pm, Room II - (BSP/GE) Organized by the Division for Gender Equality Every year, UNESCO organizes a high-level International Round Table on a specific theme that inaugurates UNESCO’s programme celebrating International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is “Beijing +15” in keeping with the UN system theme for 2010. The Round Table will focus on the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, its agenda, progress and future directions, including UNESCO’s role in upholding and implementing the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. Upon invitation only. Limited places available.

Exhibition : Women's lives – Recto-verso, Ingrid Leddet, France (8-19 March 2010, Hall Segur) - (BSP/GE) “Women's lives – Recto-Verso” illustrates the fate of women around the world through a very large triptych featuring on one side three female torsos, which represent the visible face of a woman's life, and on the other side, three other female torsos which suggest the reality.

Exhibition : « Art Kassena : femmes artistes de Tiébélé », Ms. Kaïdin-Monique le Houelleur, Côte d'Ivoire (8-19 March 2010, Salle des Pas perdus) - (BSP/GE) Organised in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of Cote d'Ivoire to UNESCO In 1996, while traveling from Abidjan to Timbuktu, in pursuit of the publication of a book, Kaïdin-Monique le Houelleur discovers the artstyle Kassena in Burkina Faso and the women artists of this region.

Exhibition : « Colors and light », Ms. Watana Noonpackdee Butori, Thailand (8-19 March 2010, Miro I and II) - (BSP/GE) Organised in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of Thailand to UNESCO Born in Thailand in 1945, Watana Noonpackdee Butori has lived in France since 1970. Graduated from the Chulalongkorn university (Bangkok) in Literacy and from the Université de Nancy (France) in Contemporary history, she worked as a free lance interpret and translator for many years and has written the Assimil language method to learn Thai in 1990.

Special event – A talk with the artist of the exhibition “Living Ancestors”, Gabrielle Le Roux - (BSP/GE) Organized by the Division for Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning, in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of Dominica to UNESCO. 9 March, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Room V

Exhibition : « Living Ancestors », Ms. Gabrielle Leroux, Dominica (8-19 March 2010, Hall Segur) - (BSP/GE) Organised in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of Dominica to UNESCO Artist and activist for social justice, Gabrielle Le Roux was born in London and raised in South Africa. She lived in the Caribbean during the 1980s.

Exhibition : “Real Beauty”, Claudia DeMonte, USA (8-19 March 2010, Hall Segur) - (BSP/GE) Organised in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of the United States of America to UNESCO The art installation “Real Beauty” represents the culmination of 30 years of making art on issues related to women in contemporary society by the American artist, curator and gender equality activist Claudia DeMonte.

Exhibition : “Woman: Sustainability and Peace", Ms. Savitri Suwansathit, Thailand (8-19 March 2010, Miro I and II) - (BSP/GE) Organised in cooperation with the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of Thailand to UNESCO Savitri Suwansathit, Advisor to the Ministry of Culture and artist, works with oil and acrylic. Her paintings feature Thai women in traditional rural settings with mountains, rice fields, ponds and seas in the background, reflecting on different symbolically important moments of their lives.

Musical evening: concert with international artists (8 March 2010, 6:30 – 9 p.m., Room I), - (BSP/GE) This concert of 3 singers from different countries is organized in collaboration with l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Upon invitation only. Limited places available.

Workshop : Gender Equality and Progress in Societies (12 March 2010, 9 am to 7 pm, OECD) - (BSP/GE) The Workshop on "Gender Equality and Progress in Societies" will take place on 12 March 2010, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in OECD Development Centre : 2 rue André Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16. Please find here the debates of the Workshop.

History of International Women's Day - (UNESCO - SHS) International Women's Day, formalized by the United Nations in 1977, not only reminds us about the victories of women, but also invites us to reflect upon the role and status of women in the world at large.