UNESCO Celebrates International Women’s Day – Moving the Gender Equality Agenda Forward

Paris, 4 March

• © UN

UNESCO’s International Women’s Day 2009 celebrations will focus on UNESCO’s commitment to designate gender equality as a global priority of the Organization in its Medium-Term Strategy for the period 2008-2013.

A series of actions to promote women’s empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality in Member States has been identified in the UNESCO Priority Gender Equality Action Plan for 2008-2013. The Organization’s aim to promote gender equality is addressed throughout its programmes at all levels.

The need to make gender equality a global priority is clear, considering that three fifths of the world’s one billion poorest people are women and girls; two thirds of the 960 million adults in the world who cannot read are women; and girls account for 57 percent of the 77 million children who are out of school.

UNESCO believes that sustainable development, human rights and peace at the global, regional and local levels can only be advanced if women and men enjoy expanded and equal choices and opportunities, and the ability to live in freedom and dignity. UNESCO also believes that women should be included at the highest levels of policy making.

Committed to rallying support for this priority, UNESCO will bring together women Ambassadors to the Organization, representing each region of the world, at a round table “Gender Equality as a Global Priority: Next Step Forward” opened by Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on Monday, 9 March, at 3 p.m. (Room II, 3-5.30 p.m.). The participants will consider UNESCO’s action promoting gender equality through its programmes and identify challenges ahead.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, UNESCO is also launching the 2009 Women Make the News campaign on “Gender Equality Policies in Media Organizations.” Through an online discussion forum, the campaign will highlight best practices in this area and remind media managers and journalists’ unions of the importance of developing policies that prevent all forms of gender discrimination.

UNESCO is inviting media organizations and professionals to use the website to exchange experiences and share best practices to ensure equality for women journalists (Women Make the News; stories to be submitted by 8 April 2009).

“Getting the Balance Right”, a handbook on how to address some of the main problems facing women in the media, will also be available online. It has been developed in partnership with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Sweden’s LO-TCO Secretariat of International Trade Union Development Cooperation for media professionals and organizations as part of UNESCO’s campaign.

Among the cultural events marking International Women’s Day on 9 March at UNESCO will be a concert by Cape Verdean singer Lura who blends the influences of traditional Cape Verdean music with Portuguese pop, African beats and American soul (Room I, 8 p.m.).

On 10 March, a round table will explore the achievements and challenges of Japanese women in the country’s social and cultural life. There will also be Shimai (dance) demonstrations; a demonstration of Ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement; and a reading of works by Misuzu Kaneko, a 20th century Japanese poet and songwriter.

During the month of March, a series of artistic and historical exhibitions at UNESCO Headquarters will highlight women’s accomplishments as intellectuals, politicians, artists and gender equality activists:

- Figure paintings by Dr. Annie Wong Leung Kit-Wah honour the role of women in the history of China.

- “Celebrating Women” by U.S. photojournalist Paola Gianturco features festivals that honour women in Brazil, India, Morocco, Poland, Sweden and Swaziland, is based on Ms. Gianturco’s book Celebrating Women.

- “NO MAS!” by Dominican artist Yolanda Naranjo is a critique of violence against women. “NO MORE!” showcases striking and powerful images representing the precarious conditions affecting women.

- “The Seeds of a Dream,” an exhibition organized by the Permanent Delegation of Ecuador to UNESCO, about the struggle of the indigenous people of Ecuador. It features photographs and objects owned by Dolores Cacuango and pays homage to this passionate woman who helped her people regain their dignity.

- In the exhibition “Creative Nature,” Ecuadorian artist Carolina Alfonso de la Paz celebrates Dolores Cacuango as well as other women who have fought to protect individual and people’s rights.

- “Pretty, pretty shoes, dogs and others” by Xenia Hoffmeisterová from the Czech Republic showcases women’s self expression through colourful paintings of shoes which are seen as symbols of personal freedom.

- The exhibition “ICHI GO ICHI E– Women of Japan”, (“One encounter: One unique opportunity”) is a slideshow of photographs by Manuel Henry.

• Author(s):Media Advisory N°2009-12
• Source:UNESCOPRESS
• 04-03-2009