Empowerment, Equality, and Strength: Every Day and on International Women’s Day
As we celebrate the achievements of women and those fighting for gender equality around the world, International Women’s Day also reminds us of the challenges, inequalities, and violence which women face daily. Moloud Hajizadeh, Amira Al-Sharif, Jannatun Nayeem Prity, Evan Hikmat, and Sahar Bayati are among those who have experienced both the empowerment and the struggles of the road to gender equality.
As we celebrate the achievements of women and those fighting for gender equality around the world, International Women’s Day also reminds us of the challenges, inequalities, and violence which women face daily. Moloud Hajizadeh, Amira Al-Sharif, Jannatun Nayeem Prity, Evan Hikmat, and Sahar Bayati are among those who have experienced both the empowerment and the struggles of the road to gender equality.
During the month of March, a number of female ICORN writers, artists, and journalists will be at the centre of events, discussions, and exhibitions celebrating International Women’s Day. Through their professional expertise and personal experiences, these women will reflect on the progress made and the obstacles which women continue to face globally.
The ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ women’s rights and democracy movement has been central to recent discussions on gender equality, human rights, and religion in Iran and beyond. With this in mind, Stavanger Art Museum is hosting an event entitled ‘’Women, Life, Freedom’-Journalist- Iran’s Democracy and Women’s Movements Before and Now’ on the evening of March 8th. There, journalist, women’s rights activist and ICORN resident in Larvik Moloud Hajizadeh will share her perspective on the situation in Iran and its impact on women globally. Informed by her journalistic work, her involvement in women’s rights organisations, and her lived experience, Hajizadeh will discuss the areas of women and girls’ education and gender-based violence.
Amongst the other speakers at the event will be artist Shahrzad Malekian, activist Silvana Bayazidpour, journalist and scholar Ayda Joudavi, and Marianne Hafnor Bøe, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Stavanger.
Another event celebrating inspiration women is ‘Commitment: When Women Defend Their Rights’, organised by the City of Paris at the Canopy Multimedia Library on March 16th. Writer, artist, activist and current ICORN resident in Paris Jannatun Nayeem Prity and lawyer Lucie Feutrier-Cook will share testimonies and discuss their commitment to the fight for women’s rights across borders.
In this event, Jannatun Nayeem Prity will detail her story, the current political situation in her home country of Bangladesh, divided between extremism and populism, and the consequences for human rights. Based on her deeply held personal conviction and the ability to transform her stance into collective action to uphold and enforce human rights, her journey ultimately resulted in finding safety in exile in Paris. Drawing on her literary, artistic, and activist work, Prity will offer her insight into the importance of commitment when fighting for and defending women’s rights.
On the 8th of March, Haugesund Public Library will welcome the 8th March Committee in Haugesund for an event on women’s rights, gender-based violence and inequality in the region and beyond.
The heading illustration for the event is provided by Evan Hikmat, Iraqi illustrator, journalist, and current ICORN resident in the city. Iranian journalist and former ICORN resident in Haugesund Sahar Bayati will, in turn, discuss the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement in Iran, together with Swedish-Iranian artist Ronak Naderi.
The rest of the programme will highlight the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country, as well as the impact and aftermath of gender-based violence in close relationships, across different cultures and online.
The City of Paris is also holding a month-long exhibition by renowned Yemeni photographer and former ICORN resident in Paris Amira Al-Sharif. The display is entitled ‘Faces of Yemeni Women: Beyond the War’ and will be on show at gates of Tour Saint Jacques is Paris between March 6th and April 3rd.
Having photographed during the civil war, Al-Sharif has poignantly captured the lives and stories of Yemeni women and their, often, ‘forgotten’ country. ‘Faces of Yemeni Women: Beyond the War’ is a powerful exhibition highlighting the strength and resolve of Yemeni women and demonstrating the beautiful, humane, and even mundane in times of crisis and conflict.
