Ali Ahmad, one Herati shopkeeper, said, “Actually, these mannequins are my only belongings now, and now with this new order I have to cut their heads off…reports Asian Lite News.
An official in the Directorate of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in western Herat province in Afghanistan said that from now on, the heads of female mannequins shall not be shown in shops and will get cut off as their posing is against the Islamic Sharia law, Raha Press reported.
He said that looking at the face of such mannequins is against the Sharia law, the report said.
The instruction comes a day after the group in Kabul issued a guidance advising taxi drivers not to offer drive to unveiled women without close male relatives.
A number of shopkeepers in Herat raised concerns against such an instruction and said that Taliban are making life more difficult for them each passing day.
The shopkeepers said that they had bought each mannequin for $100-$200 and now they have to cut their heads off.
Ali Ahmad, one Herati shopkeeper, said, “Actually, these mannequins are my only belongings now, and now with this new order I have to cut their heads off. It is a great loss for me,” as per the report.
In a further move restricting women’s freedom in Afghanistan, the Taliban have said that women seeking to travel more than 72 km should not be offered transport unless they are accompanied by a close male relative, RFE/RL reported.
An advisory distributed by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice also directed all vehicle drivers to refrain from playing music in their cars, and not to pick up female passengers who do not wear an Islamic hijab covering their hair.
Ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq Akif confirmed the authenticity of the advisory on December 26.
A taxi driver in Kabul, who did not want to be named, said that for some time now armed Taliban men have been urging taxi drivers not to play music in their cars or take women without a hijab.
Exiled Afghan legal expert Haroun Rahimi criticised the Taliban’s directive, saying it means taxi drivers will effectively be in a position to “police Afghan women’s bodies and mobility”, the report said.
“During the 1990s, issues of sexuality rather than gender became the focus of discourse and debate…reports Asian Lite News.
Stereotyping and objectification of women in the media narrative is a universal truth that needs to be addressed, questioned and reversed as the media in general, especially advertising, has failed to a large extent to understand and assimilate a definite social shift and the changing status of women in the society per se, says industry expert Jaishri Jethwaney in a new book that examines how objectification, sexualisation and patriarchy loom large in advertising across societies.
“Clients, especially the large advertisers who are the ultimate decision-makers on what would the final ad narrative on their brands would be, have to own the responsibility for ensuring gender-sensitive narrative,” Jethwaney, an ICSSR Research Fellow and former Professor and Programme Director (Advertising and PR) at IIMC, says of “The Beauty Paradigm: Gender Discourse in Indian Advertising (SAGE Response)”.
“The content analysis of more than 1,100 campaigns across three decades from the 1990s until now has proved beyond doubt the blatant stereotyping of women in ads across brand categories,” she says.
The findings are not any different from the ASCI’s Gender Next Report, 2021 that reflects that women are stereotyped and projected sensually, with the “average ads featuring an unrealistic and unobtainable standard of beauty… There emerges a gap between the intent to create more positive depictions of women and the current reality of depictions”, the report says.
Going back into time, Jethwaney writes that the feminist thought in the 1960s in retrospect, drew attention to the representation of women in media and called for a systematic investigation into the area of female role stereotypes in popular media.
“Particularly, it was suggested that advertising in popular media was a primary means for introducing and promoting female role stereotypes and sexism, calling attention to a systematic investigation into this area. Scholars believe that whereas the 1960s and 1970s largely experienced the development of the feminist perspective, the 1980s and 1990s coincided with the emergence of a viewpoint that gradually weakened the arguments of feminist thought.
“During the 1990s, issues of sexuality rather than gender became the focus of discourse and debate. During this period, sexual imagery of women was viewed as radical and cutting-edge rather than unfair and exploitative,” Jethwaney writes.
The research in different countries and at various points of time is reflective of the exclusive and gender insensitive nature of societies. Critics believe that it is inevitable because, in general, social thoughts like philosophy, history, science, even theory are also gender insensitive, which has a concomitant impact on the policies as well as on governance and justice.
Media, a part of the social milieu too remains largely gender insensitive in its approach and narrative. Advertising, as a marketing tool, draws its references from various persuasive theories that look for appeals and symbols that largely cater to men and male gaze, she writes.
“Advertising is criticised for voyeurism, misogyny, objectification of women’s body and for following a patriarchal approach in its discourse.
“Objectification is a notion central to the feminist theory. It posits treating a person, usually a woman as an object, the focus being primarily on sexual objectification. Critics believe that the feminist literature of 20th century and later was hugely influenced by Immanuel Kant’s work on sexuality and objectification,” Jethwaney writes.
Objectification, for Kant, involved the lowering of a person, i.e. a being with inhumanity, to the status of an object. He argued that when a woman was seen as an object of enjoyment in sexual relations, the object was of no use once that enjoyment was over. In this way, the loved person tends to lose what was special to her as a human being-her humanity, and is reduced to a thing, a mere sexual instrument. Kant’s notion of objectification, therefore, focused largely on instrumentality: the treatment of a person as a mere tool for the lover’s purposes, the author states.
How, then, does one break out of the shackles?
“Social transformation accompanied with implementation of laws shall be the key to address women related issues in India. The feminist literature and movements bear testimony to the fact that feminism is very much home grown and organic in India and not a copy of the West as generally alleged. The feminist movement is not against men but about fighting the power structures that are so well embedded in the familial, social, political and economic spheres,” Jethwaney maintains.
Asha Art and Crafts has been named after and runs on my mother’s name who inspired us to get into this business and is showing us the direction, says her son Kamal Sankhla…reports Archana Sharma
Call it a coincidence or luck that a department being run under a woman industries minister Shakuntala Rawat and woman IAS officer Archana Singh is presently busy with a unique campaign called Mission Niryatak which is boosting exports by building a team of women entrepreneurs.
In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that the Rajasthan government’s ‘Mission Niryatak’ campaign has been turning women into exporters who are creating jobs for another set of women while scripting a success story during pandemic times when businesses across the world are facing problems.
Sitting in their homes, women are now getting jobs and are being trained by the state government to ensure they come out with flying colours.
Says Asha Sankhla from Asha Art and Crafts, “We make all types of leather bags, canvas bags, leather sofa, chair, tools, butterfly chairs, wall decor products etc. Connecting with Mission Niryatak is sure to help us boost our orders due to which we shall be able to give more work to women artisans associated with us.”
Asha Art and Crafts has been named after and runs on my mother’s name who inspired us to get into this business and is showing us the direction, says her son Kamal Sankhla.
In fact, we are creating a new set of women entrepreneurs who are setting up their own team of women and completing the orders given to them, he adds.
PR Sharma, CEO, REPC says, “The project is quite ambitious and simple in its form. Those women who have been yearning to do something different are now being connected with us. They are registering with us and are starting their own export business, scripting empowerment and a self dependency story.”
“It has created jobs for women who are housewives. Many women have joined hands with this initiative which is going a long way to empower women,” he added.
The best part of the campaign is that it has been decentralised and is reaching out to each district to cater to different needs of people settled in these districts.
“We are reaching out to each district. In fact, around 5405 IECs have been issued amongst which the highest response has come from Alwar and Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Chittorgarh and some others,” he adds.
The campaign, he says, comes with six steps, “The first step is identification and mobilization of the candidates/firm to become an exporter and their registration is done on the department’s web site after they are provided with basic guidance about exports and export documentation. The second step is to fulfil document requirements. We provide them support in applications for PAN, Aadhar Card, Registration of Firm and opening of Bank Account. Step three is the issuance of the Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) number, step 4 is issuance of GST number and step 5 is granting REPC membership. Then comes the sixth step which is providing assistance for exports through E-portal.”
In fact, the project has already started showing results. Around 500+ new exporters are linked with the online portal for export (Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Wallmart, etc.) and many of them have started exporting.
The signing of a MoU with Walmart for training and export linkages is in the process.
As per the statistics, “In 2015-16, exports from Rajasthan were Rs 36,047 crore which rose to Rs 52,764 crore in 2020-21 for commodity exports. However, Rajasthan’s share in India’s total merchandise exports is about 2.3% and it stands 12th among the states in country in terms of value of commodity exports. Exporting units and allied services provides employment to 31 lakh individuals in the state (EXIM Bank Report 2019).”
Rajasthan achieved first rank in the Export Preparedness Index-2020 under the landlock stage category which indicated there is a huge potential for exports from the state, says Sharma.
Under the Mission Niryatak project, we are expecting exports worth Rs 50 crore from 22 selected first time exporters in December 2021, said officials.
The fortunes of many women will be turned around with this project as many of them have already joined hands with it while many have shown interest in it through word of mouth publicity, says Sankhla.
Union minister Piyush Goyal had words of praise for the campaign in Jaipur recently. He said that the Rajasthan team should be congratulated for the efforts made in this direction.
Soon they began beating the four women, stripped them and dragged them through the market…reports Asian Lite News.
The police in Pakistan have arrested five men on charges of assaulting, stripping and filming four women in Faisalabad’s Bawa Chak Market, the Dawn reported.
The matter had surfaced after a video of the four women went viral on social media.
According to the FIR, the complainant, a garbage-picker, went to the Bawa Chak Market with three other women to collect garbage on Monday at around 10:30 am.
She told the police that they were thirsty and went inside a shop, Usman Electric Store, and asked for a bottle of water from one of the suspects, Saddam, whom they identified as the owner of the shop. But Saddam began shouting at them, accusing them of entering his shop with the intention to steal, the FIR said, adding that other suspects also reached the shop upon hearing him shouting, the report said.
Soon they began beating the four women, stripped them and dragged them through the market.
“They continued to beat us for around an hour and made our videos in naked condition,” the FIR quoted the complainant as saying.
Later, some family members of the victims reached the market and passersby gathered at the spot who pleaded to the suspects to let the women go, according to the FIR, the report added.
“The suspects committed gross injustice by stripping us, dragging us through the market and torturing us and strict action should be taken against them,” the complainant said in the FIR.
According to a tweet by Pakistan Punjab Police, two of the suspects were arrested on Monday night and three others were arrested on Tuesday.
Chanting slogans for their rights, protesters also lashed out at the international community for what they called ignoring the dire need for provision of basic rights to women in the country. ..reports Hamza Ameer
The delay in providing right to education and employment to women by the Afghan Taliban led interim government in Afghanistan has triggered protests and uproar in the country.
On Sunday, dozens of Afghan women took to the streets of Kabul again, demanding their right to learn and seek employment under the new Islamic Emirates rule.
Chanting slogans for their rights, protesters also lashed out at the international community for what they called ignoring the dire need for provision of basic rights to women in the country.
“We can tolerate hunger, can live without food, but we cannot tolerate injustice. We ask for freedom and justice in our country”, said one of the protesters.
The latest protest is part of a series of protests that the Afghan women have been staging since the time Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
In the recent past, the Taliban security officials manhandled female protesters while media persons covering the protest were also assaulted and kept under custody.
The Afghan Taliban interim government later announced through its Ministry of Interior (MoI) that demonstrations without the permission of the relevant ministry would not be allowed.
Later, a pro-Taliban female rally was held in Kabul, where women chanted pro-Taliban slogans and expressed their support to the newly imposed Islamic law in the country.
The Taliban claims of ensuring provision of all basic rights to women as per the teachings under the Islamic rule of law, will be provided to its female citizens, including right to work and education, they said.
Recently, a girls’ school in Herat was opened while Taliban claimed that female nurses and doctors have been coming to work without any problems.
“The Islamic Emirate does not cause discriminatory treatment for any part of the society, the problems and issues existed, we promise to resolve the problems,” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA).
But many believe that majority of women are still prohibited and restricted from employment or education.
“Women are half of the society, they have rights, there should be opportunities for learning and working based on the customs and culture of Afghanistan”, said Abdul Qadir, a local resident of Kabul.
Irthi launched its new publication, The Future Essence, and discussed how Emirati signature scents mark the identity of the UAE in the perfume markets worldwide…reports Asian Lite News
Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, an affiliate of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, has hailed the perfume making traditions of the UAE and called for the preservation of this valuable knowledge to drive forward contemporary innovations in this field and introduce future generations to the narratives and heritage of perfumery in the UAE.
Irthi launched The Future Essence at Expo 2020
At a panel discussion titled, Connections Through Culture, held at the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 recently, Irthi launched its new publication, The Future Essence, and discussed how Emirati signature scents mark the identity of the UAE in the perfume markets worldwide. The session also explored how the documentation of the signature perfume traditions including old recipes, mixing techniques, and ingredients, will define Emirati narratives and lead to the economic sustainability of the perfume market in the UAE.
The panel session, Connections Through Culture, was held in a hybrid format, and comprised of a team of four panel members: Anijo Mathew, former Head of the Department of Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah, and currently serving as the Director of the DesigNext Academy and an Associate Professor at the Institute of Design (ID) at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, USA; and Kiran Sajwani, a senior design strategist and researcher and an Adjunct Professor at the College of Architecture٬ Art and Design, AUS.
Representing the student community at AUS were Meznah Khalid, a 22-year-old Emirati, and Hamda Hareb Al Falahi, a Design Management student who was part of a capstone project managed by Irthi to explore the perfume industry in the UAE.
Irthi has worked in close collaboration with AUS to document the craft of perfume making through two courses introduced at its Department of Art and Design at the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD). Each course was divided into several groups, and through a series of thematic projects aimed at documenting and presenting the craft in a wholistic manner, Irthi is engaging the students with the cultural, social, technical, and economic aspects of the craft of perfumery in the region.
Irthi launched The Future Essence at Expo 2020
Launch of The Future Essence
Irthi, which is committed to archiving the cultural traditions of the UAE to inspire future creative output, launched The Future Essence, a bi-lingual publication at the event, which outlines the ongoing multimedia and design-led projects being implemented in collaboration with AUS under four different themes.
The English-Arabic book documents the craft and trade of perfume as well as the underlying memories, identities, and rituals associated with perfume making in the UAE. The extensive research gone into the book also opened the door to new discoveries of the artistry behind UAE’s traditional perfume making process that relied on a range of imported, sustainable raw materials and which paved the way for the UAE’s emergence as a hub for perfumers from various backgrounds.
The projects being led by Irthi and AUS have explored, amongst many others, the link between the craft of perfume and the Emirati identity, the diversity of ingredients used, and the handmaking traditions of creating perfumes. The teams also investigated the meaning and value of perfume in daily rituals in Emirati society, the variety of shapes of incense burners as well as the origins of the exotic ingredients.
The research is enabling the various teams of students to highlight current gaps and develop design concepts to address ways to preserve culture and identity. Five AUS design students of the TEEB team, for instance, who focused on the art of crafting Dukhoon have completed a six-month internship at Irthi to further develop the product to ensure that it is a right fit in the contemporary perfume market. The final product will soon be launched in the market with the support of Irthi.
Commenting on the significance of the courses and projects, Anijo Mathew said that the varied topics and design thinking methodology are enabling students to better understand real-world challenges and opportunities. He said: “The projects introduce the Emirati heritage to students in a beautiful and elegant way, with a refined and creative touch. For instance, the students were successful in transforming traditional recipes used in Emirati society into vibrant, modern products which still evoke the legacy and heritage of the art form.”
Perfumery holds a special place in Emirati society, he said, adding that while it was important to uphold the latest trends and olfactory preferences of the new generation when creating a fragrance, it was equally essential to maintain and protect the traditions associated with the craft to promote such products and make them more competitive.
Irthi launched The Future Essence at Expo 2020
Hamda Hareb Al Falahi, who was involved in a design-led process to develop a strategy for preserving perfume craft in the UAE, said: “The varied aspects of our research also involved an exploration into the main ingredients that are crucial to the Emirati perfume making process. We learnt that musk, which has an addictive aroma and is known for its lasting power, is a preferred favourite in Emirati society. Though not a luxury item, musk is a prized and must-have ingredient in the Emirati perfume culture.”
MEZNAH KHALID, AUS STUDENT: “We are exploring how to adapt these traditional Emirati perfumes into a more contemporary context in terms of ingredients and design to meet the preferences of the new generation while continuing to maintain its link with the past. Although the path to creating the final product is challenging, it offers great scope for innovation. The main purpose of the project is to introduce the unique Emirati identity in a contemporary manner.”
Discussing the impact of the perfume industry on the economy, Kiran Sajwani highlighted the important role of educational entities in enhancing the development of traditional industries to ensure its sustainability and futureproof the perfume craft in the UAE.
She added: “Academic studies help youth acquire the knowledge and skills of the future. Advanced technologies play a key role in facilitating the development of traditional crafts within a modern context to meet the needs of the contemporary markets.”
The themes explored under the two Irthi-led courses include ‘The craft of perfume’, which explored the hard work involved in creating signature Emirati scents and the range of ingredients used; and ‘The trade of perfume’, which investigates how Emiratis connected with other cultures by trading perfumes and perfume ingredients and explores the importance of perfume in the trade sector.
‘Identity and Perfume: Memories’, offers an insight into the importance of defining Emirati narratives around perfumes and nostalgia; while ‘Identity and Perfume: Rituals’ focused on the lifestyle of Emiratis and the use of perfume on varied celebratory and daily occasions.
ActionAid Executive Director Sandeep Chachra said: “The vulnerable communities of India, and amongst them, women and children, are being hardest hit by the climate crisis they did the least to cause…reports Asian Lite News.
Around 90 per cent of respondents in a survey of people in India called for greater female representation at the COP26 climate talks while 87 per cent, nearly nine in 10 people, think more must be done to give women from the Global South a voice at the global summit, according to the latest survey from ActionAid.
The term Global South -broadly refers to Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania includes regions outside Europe and North America, mostly low-income and often politically or culturally marginalised.
As many as 67 per cent of women in the Global South, or nearly two-thirds, think that women and girls are more likely to be adversely affected by the climate crisis, while 73 per cent, or nearly three-quarters, say that addressing gender inequality is a vital part of solving climate change, according to the survey.
ActionAid Executive Director Sandeep Chachra said: “The vulnerable communities of India, and amongst them, women and children, are being hardest hit by the climate crisis they did the least to cause.
“But women and their communities are also leading the fight against climate change and designing inclusive and sustainable solutions in their villages and neighbourhoods to build climate resilience and help safeguard lives and livelihoods.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for $1 trillion from developed countries as finance for developing countries to lessen the impact of climate change through mitigation and adaptation measures, should be used to draw these vulnerable communities, led by women into climate change practices. We need to encourage these communities to fulfil their role as custodians of ecological resources, to ensure their well-being and the good of all the whole world,” he added.
The pavilion is showcasing solutions and initiatives presented by women to address numerous challenges…reports Asian Lite News
Dubravka Šuica, Vice President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography, lauded the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, the first such pavilion in World Expos’ history, noting that it is a source of inspiration and will support women’s empowerment efforts.
Top EU official lauds Women’s Pavilion at Expo
She made this statement during her official visit to the UAE to attend several events related to Urban and Rural Development Week at Expo 2020 Dubai and hold a number of bilateral meetings with Emirati officials.
During her visit to the Women’s Pavilion, she explored the historic and contemporary achievements of women in all areas, in light of the significant progress witnessed by Arab and international communities.
The pavilion is also showcasing solutions and initiatives presented by women to address numerous challenges.
In her exclusive statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Šuica lauded the women’s pavilion, which highlights key regional and international issues affecting women and helps achieve women’s empowerment in all areas.
She added she will speak today at an event at Expo 2020 Dubai covering a long-term vision for rural areas, including the impact of demographic changes on services delivery and access.
Expo 2020 and Cartier celebrates the inauguration of the Women’s Pavilion
Expo 2020 Dubai and Cartier celebrated the official inauguration of the Women’s Pavilion in a spectacular celebration at Al Wasl Plaza…reports Asian Lite News
Expo 2020 Dubai and Cartier celebrated the official inauguration of the Women’s Pavilion in a spectacular celebration at Al Wasl Plaza, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and President of the Dubai Women Establishment.
The event was inaugurated by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai; Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office and Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council; and Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International.
EXPO 2020
The four artists commissioned to curate and design the Pavilion, Laura Gonzalez, eL Seed, Nadine Labaki and Mélanie Laurent along with ‘Friends of the Maison’ Monica Belluci, Vanessa Kirby, Ramla Ali, and Amira Casar, Yasmine Sabry, Fatima Albanawi, Dhafer L’Abidine, Fouz Al Fahad, Farida Khelfa and Elisa Sednaoui were also among the guests in attendance.
Under the exhibition titled “New Perspectives”, the Women’s Pavilion by Expo 2020, organised in collaboration with Cartier, invites visitors to celebrate and recognize the central role women have played throughout history, leading up to the present day. By showcasing these contributions, as well as the challenges that women around the word still face, the Pavilion seeks to amplify an important principle: when women thrive, humanity thrives.
Inaugurating the event, Reem Al Hashemy said: “The UAE has placed gender equality and women’s empowerment at the core of its ethos since its founding, recognising the immense potential of women to contribute to the nation’s rapid advancement – a belief that is echoed globally as crucial for sustainable development.
“We will soon mark the beginning of another 50 years of prosperity for the UAE, and we are emboldened by the stories of Arab and Muslim female trail-blazers from centuries past and present, brought to life in Expo 2020’s Women’s Pavilion. Challenging misconceptions and stereotypes, Expo 2020 reinforces the critical role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in safeguarding the future of humanity and our planet – and we welcome the world to engage with the Women’s Pavilion, reminding us all that every person has a role to play in the journey ahead.”
Cyrille Vigneron added: “The path to gender equality is a long path and the worst thing we could do is regress. All countries are moving in their own way but we also see regression when it comes to gender equality. We have to move forward from wherever we start, and that’s a place to rejoice and celebrate.”
Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office and Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, said the first ever Expo pavilion dedicated to recognising the contributions of women builds on the progress the UAE has made in enhancing women’s role in both national progress and social development over the past 50 years.
“Our gathering today demonstrates how Dubai is connecting different cultures and markets and offering a platform for forging new worldwide partnerships to address global issues. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to have a pavilion dedicated to women with the aim of challenging stereotypes and unlocking new opportunities.”
MONA GHANEM AL MARRI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, GOVERNMENT OF DUBAI AND VICE PRESIDENT, GENDER BALANCE COUNCIL, UAE: “Though governments play a significant role in advancing women’s empowerment, they cannot succeed without meaningful collaborations with the private sector, civil societies, and committed individuals. Improved gender equality, which in turn accelerates economic growth and prosperity, is one of the many outcomes that such partnerships bring. Our leadership’s remarkable vision and unwavering support over the past 50 years has created a strong nation that today is a global model for sustainable people-centred growth and women’s development. Today, the UAE leads the region in female empowerment according to the UN, and the country is committed to further raising gender equality benchmarks as part of its ambitious future vision and strategy.”
In her address, Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, reminded the audience of the impact women can make when they are put in positions of power and influence.
Liz Bohannon, a social entrepreneur and former Cartier Women’s Initiative fellow, who has been working to develop businesses that can solve some of the most pressing challenges facing women and girls across the globe, hosted the evening. Guests enjoyed an evening of breathtaking performances by the artist and ‘Friend of the Maison’ Diana Vishneva, Russian Prima ballerina of Mariinsky theater and Denis Savin, principal dancer of the Bolshoi theater. Diana and Denis performed a lyrical homage to the greatest ballerina of the 20th century Maya Plisetskaya.
Sudanese-American poet and activist Emi Mahmoud left the audience in awe with a powerful spoken word poem celebrating the strength and resilience of women. Concluding the evening was a stunning musical performance by the celebrated pianist Khatia Buniatishvili and a children’s choir from La Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine de l’Opera National de Paris.
The two-day opening programme also included a series of specially curated talks with influential leaders and speakers from a variety of sectors and backgrounds, all addressing women’s empowerment from different perspectives.
Expo 2020
Hind Alowais, Vice President of the International Participants Department at Expo 2020 Dubai, moderated a conversation between Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Executive Director of UN Women, and Cyrille Vigneron, focused on the ripple effect that women’s empowerment has on society, ultimately demonstrating that women’s advancement is key to solving the world’s most pressing issues.
Highlighting the central role of women in maintaining peace and stable societies, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Former Prime Minister of France and President of Leaders pour la Paix, gave the keynote introduction to the talk dedicated to Women and Peace. This was followed by a conversation with Irina Bokova, Former Director General of UNESCO; Zarifa Ghafari, activist and politician, youngest Afghan mayor; and Donia Kaouach, Managing Director of Leaders pour la Paix and President of Tunisiennes Fières.
French-Algerian documentary filmmaker Farida Khelfa led a talk on reimagining education systems with the friend of the Maison Ramla Ali, Somali professional boxer, model, author and racial equality activist; Audrey Cheng, Cartier Women’s Initiative fellow and Founder & Board member of Moringa School, and Lin Kobayashi, Co-founder and Chair of the Board of UWC ISAK Japan. Creating new innovative paths to equip girls with the knowledge and skills to thrive was a key topic of conversation.
The day concluded with a conversation on climate change and the role artists and activists can play in raising awareness on one of the most critical issues facing our planet. Vanessa Kirby, actress and film producer, engaged with Salma Abdulai, Founder and CEO of Amaati Co; Kate Horner, Deputy Executive Director of Amazon Frontlines; Mélanie Laurent, actress, screenwriter and director; Thyago Nogueira, curator of the exhibition “Claudia Andujar, the Yanomami Struggle”; and Nemonte Nenquimo, Leader of the Waorani and activist, supported by Amazon Frontlines.
Drawing on Cartier’s role in supporting artistic expression, a diverse community of creators and artists were brought on to contribute to the design and curation of the Women’s Pavilion. Interior architect Laura Gonzalez, together with Dubai born artist Kholoud Sharafi and French light designer Pauline David, designed the upper part of the façade. Commenting on her contribution, Laura stated: “When Cartier approached me to design the façade of the Women’s Pavilion, this project represented the fact that all women can achieve their dreams. The first impression is very important so I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”
French Tunisian artist eL Seed’s unique calligraphy took over the lower part of the façade. He noted that: “The façade was a platform to amplify the voice of women in Nepal and to tell a story. I linked the façade to a ‘calligraffiti’ project I created in a small village, located two to three hours’ drive from Kathmandu, which was rebuilt entirely by women using earthquake-resistant bricks, following the earthquake in 2015 in Nepal.”
Nadine Labaki, Lebanese actress and the first female Arab director to be nominated for an Oscar in the category for Best Foreign Language Film, directed the short film featured as guests enter the pavilion where she highlights the meaning of gender equality through the lens of young activists from around the world. “We need to start thinking in alternative ways and explore how the world can transition to where it should be. The pandemic revealed a lot of failures in our system and things that need to change – the short documentary that I worked on for the Women’s Pavilion provided an opportunity to hop on this train of alternative thinking and start the journey.” she said.
French actress, screenwriter and director Mélanie Laurent took over the second floor of the pavilion to curate an immersive exhibition fostering dialogues across cultural, artistic, and social fields in three sections. She highlighted that “Today is better; we have opportunities and we have fought so hard not to have to make this choice for real. Let’s hope that for tomorrow, everyone will have the same freedoms.”
Most of these performing women artists were either trained privately by Kathakali masters but this is the first time that Kalamandalam is taking in girl students for its long-term programme…reports Asian Lite News.
Kerala Kalamandalam that teaches the globally recognized art form of Kerala — Kathakali, has for the first time in its history of 90 years, admitted girl students.
In class VII of Kalamadalam, out of 10 students admitted, 9 are girl students for its Kathakali course. Kathakali is a highly masculine art form with even the female characters being portrayed by men. The attempt is being welcomed across the world.
However several women had started practicing Kathakali since 1970 and 1990 and K.K. Gopalakrishnan, renowned art critic of Kerala in his research book, ‘Kathakali Dance – Theatre’, said that some women from foreign countries had trained for some short-term courses in Kerala on Kathakali.
Kerala Kalamandalam (Wikipedia)
Most of these performing women artists were either trained privately by Kathakali masters but this is the first time that Kalamandalam is taking in girl students for its long-term programme.
T.K. Narayanan, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Kalamandalam told media persons that giving admission to girl students in Kalamadalam was a demand from several quarters since long and that this academic year the governing body has decided to give admission to girl students in a full-time programme at Kalamandalam.
Training at Kalamandalam from school days would expose the students to the teaching and guidance of experts and a diverse pool of teachers of the institute who have huge exposure and deep knowledge of the subject.
