PowHer, together to represent International Women's Rights Day

Workshops, round tables, conferences: the Espace Léo Ferré was decked out in pink on 8 March 2024 for this special day.

The date is now firmly established as a day for celebrating and promoting women’s rights. And this year, the Espace Léo Ferré welcomed members of the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights, created in 2018. As guest of honour at the event, along with Princess Stéphanie and the President of the Conseil du statut de la femme Louise Cordeau, Prince Albert II placed his message on the wishing tree at the entrance to the hall. A symbolic gesture to kick the day off.

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From 9am to 6pm, PowHer focused on four themes: education, health, work and sport. Workshops, round tables and conferences took place throughout the day. All of them were about a single cause: women’s rights.

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The wishing tree, on International Women’s Rights Day © Milla Lanciego

*Poetry reading on women’s rights, organised by Aux Coeurs des Mots © Milla Lanciego*

Making the right to equality a reality

“At the current pace of legislative changes, it would take 286 years to achieve equal rights between women and men,” said the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, in her opening speech. While there is no doubt that women’s rights have evolved over the years, the battle is far from over. “It’s important to remember that not so long ago, women’s rights were still restricted. The rights that have been earned must be protected,” she continued.

Around a dozen stands at the event pulled out all the stops to make their voices heard. Books, video games, cards, quizzes: goodies and prizes complemented the interactive activities on offer on the stands. From poetry readings to theatrical performances, there is more than one way of getting the message across.

For Natasha Frost-Savio, President of Pink Ribbon Monaco, no rights should be forgotten today: “Women’s health is an important issue. We’ve created a light-hearted guide to teach women how to take care of and protect their bodies”. Created by the Monegasque Red Cross, an equality wheel was an innovative way of learning more about women and breaking taboos.

*Doctor Marie Blouet, on the Pink Ribbon stand to raise awareness about early breast cancer detection © Milla Lanciego*

Together, we can go further

“We’re so pleased to be meeting here today, it’s the culmination of five years’ work together,” enthused Céline Cottalorda, Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights. Even after so many years, it’s still vital to work together to raise awareness even more.

“We can all manage to do something on our own, but when we’re together, it’s even more visible. We’d like to be able to get together even more often, not just today, because women need to be supported every day,” says André-Pierre Couffet, President of AS Monaco Foot Féminin.

For artist/painter Toby Wright, the cause for women’s equality should also speak to men. “Every man has a woman in his life, a mother, a sister… The issue concerns us too, and it’s our duty to give women a voice,” he said, representing the ‘She Can He Can Monaco’ stand.

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*André-Pierre Couffet, President of AS Monaco Foot Féminin*, *on the women’s sports stand © Milla Lanciego*

*Laurence Dionigi and Toby Wright for the She Can He Can stand © Milla Lanciego*

A message for future generations

Breaking down stereotypes and changing mindsets, from an early age. Cécile Kappler, head of the National Education Information Centre, feels the day is an opportunity to encourage women to stop being afraid. “Girls don’t dare consider certain careers. They hold themselves back and that’s a shame, we’d like to change that,” she says. The event is an opportunity to show young girls that all professions are open to them: “Men can go into social work, and women can go into construction,” she concludes.

It’s a view that Thomas Martini, Head of Development at AS Monaco Foot Féminin, would also like to defend when it comes to sport. “We want to introduce young girls to all sports, without preconceptions. Football and rugby used to be for boys, but that’s no longer the case.”

Video games also featured. With and for women: “Children are realising that there aren’t just men in video games, they’re thinking ‘I’m going to try playing with women’s teams’, and they enjoy it,” says Nathan Tibaut, on the Médiathèque de Monaco stand.