Achieving gender equality is urgent and the cost of not breaking down the barriers of discrimination is simply too high – that was the over-arching message from a spectacular celebration in Expo 2020 Dubai’s Al Wasl dome that honoured women’s contributions to society while also highlighting the barriers that remain.
The ceremony, hosted by the Women’s Pavilion, in collaboration with Cartier, topped three days of events, activities and celebrations to mark International Women’s Day (8 March), and featured key speakers Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and President of European Central Bank and special guest Academy Award-winning American-Egyptian actor Rami Malik.
HE Al Hashimy commended the Women’s Pavilion for telling the stories of women in a new light, with a fresh perspective. “We had the opportunity to shine the light on women whose stories had been forgotten or omitted entirely and to speak about women in the Muslim world and the women of Arabia. Women have always been a cornerstone of my society, of my government, of my people here in the UAE,” she said.
The Women’s Pavilion has had more than 260,000 visits and World Expo 2025 host Osaka is considering hosting its own Women’s Pavilion, a testimony to the efforts and achievements of Dubai. Of the visitors to the pavilion, however, around 95 per cent were women. “Where are the men?” Vigneron asked, calling on men to act, be accountable and take their role of responsibility in the empowerment of women.
“The gender gap starts at home, so mothers, stop spoiling your sons. Stop teaching your sons to shine and your daughters to serve – teach both to shine and to serve. Next, is a call to fathers and to leaders and to CEOs to break away from stereotypes in the workplace and to be role models. Finally, we need to stop telling our boys not to cry. We need our own liberation from our own stereotype because they are really bad for the entire world,” said Vigneron.
Before reading the poem ‘New Day’s Lyric’ by Amanda Gorman, Malik echoed Vigneron’s sentiments: “I think we can all agree that there is no shortage of hope and aspiration. The struggle is the denial of opportunity, equality, and dignity which are the results of obstacles that men have put up and it is on us to tear those obstacles down.”
Lagarde said, “This is a time when we need not only signals, but commitment and action by leaders, governments, institutions, businesses, civil society and individuals alike to close the gender inequality gap. The Women’s Pavilion is the first standalone World Expo pavilion dedicated to women in recent history. That is the right step.”
From an economic standpoint, women, young people and the poor suffered disproportionately during the pandemic, and the world needs all its talent to rebuild economies. Gender inequalities in the labour market are a financial burden to society, with estimates that countries lose between 10-38 per cent of income by underusing the economic potential of women, and no government can afford to leave talented women behind when tackling challenges such as climate change, Lagarde said.
“The time to act is now, and we all have our role to play to create a world that is more tolerant, equal and sustainable. A world where access to opportunities is not a luxury or luck, but available to all. But it requires all of us, men and women, to work together.”
HE Al Hashimy added: “We pass the baton onto all of you who are now empowered to make the necessary decisions required to enshrine true gender equality… There will tough choices and there will be easy ones, but all of these choices must contribute to ensuring a future that is balanced and purposeful so all of humanity may thrive.”
The ceremony was a highlight of Expo 2020 Dubai’s International Women’s Day celebrations, which featured site-wide activities from talks to art exhibitions, comedy shows to incredible music, and included a performance earlier on Tuesday by the phenomenal all-women Firdaus Orchestra, which celebrated iconic women in music.
