International Women’s Day 2018 Exhibition

This year, to celebrate International Women's Day, UNESCO is hosting an exhibition on rural women. Organized in close cooperation with Member States of UNESCO, this exhibition features a variety of different creative expressions from all over the world emphasizing the role of artistic creativity as a means of empowerment and a reflection of agency and leadership. It not only encourages visitors to reflect on the empowerment of women in art and through art but also reminds them of the inequalities and discrimination faced by rural women and girls.

Welcome address: H.E. Ms Zohour Alaoui, President of the 39^th Session of the General Conference, UNESCO

Participating artists:

• Ms Ons Abid (Tunisia), photographer
• Ms Alejandra Andrade (Plurinational State of Bolivia), visual artist
• Ms Jameelah Mater Asiri (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), painter
• Ms Phonemany Keomany (Lao People's Democratic Republic), painter
• Ms Sandhya Mishra (Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal), visual artist
• Mr Sidibé A. Musa (Republic of Liberia), painter
• Ms Anna Polikarpova (Russian Federation), painter
• Ms Vilaythong Souvannavong (Lao People's Democratic Republic), painter
• Ms Guillermina Victoria (Republic of Argentina), painter
• Ms Ellen Vaibaih ZeZe (Republic of Liberia), painter

Part of the Exhibition is dedicated to the local radio and the experiences of women radio journalists in rural areas with a particular focus on Africa. Built around audio, digital and artistic installations, "On Air with Rural Women" aims to show how the inclusion of women's voices in local radio allowed for progress on gender issues, such as gender-based violence, female entrepreneurship, and female genital mutilations, in several isolated African communities.