Monday, April 11, 2022 – 10:03 PM
DUBAI, 11th April / WAM / The Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, in cooperation with Cartier, gathered during the international event, many leaders of governments and institutions, change makers and visionaries and thinkers, men and women, to discuss issues related to women’s access to leadership positions, and the obstacles that do not exist. It continues to prevent achieving gender equality and empowering women, sending a message that stimulates thought and calls on everyone to act.
Expo 2020 Dubai; The first World Expo to be awarded the European and International Standard for Gender Equality, in the category Gender Equality in the Workplace, and the first World Expo to host a separate pavilion dedicated to women in more than 50 years, a pavilion that has served as an inspiration to more than 340,000 Visitors, including more than 3,500 school students.
Hind Al Owais, Senior Vice President of International Engagements, Expo 2020 Dubai, said that Expo 2020 Dubai is a sobering example of the limitless possibilities that can be achieved when gender equality and women’s empowerment are an integral part of the soul of any organization, which led to the idea of the Women’s Pavilion and the construction of the Pavilion. Dedicated to raising awareness and promoting collective action on SDG 5. Working alongside Cartier, we have been able to challenge many misconceptions regarding the roles women have played throughout history to this day, and mobilize a community of advocates to help women rise – because over the course of the six months of the international event we have demonstrated that When a woman flourishes, humanity flourishes.
Sophie Duroue, CEO of Cartier Middle East, India and Africa, said: “We are extremely proud of the impact we have made over the past six months, showing millions of people that humanity thrives on the flourishing of women. This has been a truly purposeful and moving journey, taking Cartier’s commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality to even greater heights, exchanging new perspectives that challenge the status quo, and highlighting the potential of meaningful collaboration. Looking to the future, we will build on this legacy and continue to develop unique alliances and initiatives that will contribute to a better world.
Many thought leaders, whether by physical or virtual attendance, shared their visions, strategies and policies for a gender-equitable future, while at the same time seeking to share the most important milestones in their personal journeys through more than 170 events. The most prominent among them were H.E. Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, H.E. Epsy Campbell Barr, Vice President of Costa Rica, H.E. Sonia Hyland, Deputy Secretary-General for International Affairs at the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu-Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General, Head of the Affairs Sector Social Affairs of the League of Arab States, Nanaya Mahuta, Minister for Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Phumzile Mlambo-Nkuka, former Executive Director of UN Women, Kambita Saenzoga, CEO of the Development Bank of Rwanda, as well as actor Rami Malek, Academy Award winner, and Christine Lagarde, President of the Bank European Central Bank and former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.
Over the 182 days of Expo 2020 Dubai, the message “Humanity flourishes with women flourishing” was entrenched among visitors, who in turn shared their ideas and aspirations for the future in the pavilion itself, sewing their messages on the walls of the pavilion.
The Women’s Pavilion celebrated International Women’s Day under the slogan “Breaking Prejudice” and brought together representatives of governments, companies and change makers from different countries of the world, and hosted as part of its celebrations the first female-led music festival in the Middle East, in partnership with the “Preserving Dignity in Storytelling” platform, with the participation of An elite group of female artists from all over the world, to support the message of “Breaking Prejudice”. The pavilion called on the world to recognize the barriers women face and to break the prejudices that prevent them from reaching their full potential in the workplace and in society in general.
Wam/Mohamed Jaballah/Imad Al-Ali