Monaco’s Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights will host its annual Powher event on 6th March at the Espace Léo Ferré, ahead of International Women’s Day on 8th March.
For its eighth year, the event will focus on inequalities in sport and healthcare, tracing them through the different stages of a woman’s life.
Since its creation in 2018, the committee has run 15 awareness campaigns, supported seven laws passed by the Conseil National, published 14 studies through the IMSEE statistics institute, and trained 1,159 people in areas ranging from receiving victims of violence to preventing sexism in the workplace.
“The inequalities remain in these areas,” said Céline Cottalorda, the Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights. “And that’s what we wanted to put in the spotlight this year, because these 8th of March events are also there to take into account, to understand, and to move these issues forward collectively.”
Visitors will be able to move through eight interactive workshops, each representing a life stage from childhood to old age, and also take part in a treasure hunt, collecting clues at each station to unlock access to a centrepiece installation on the main stage.
The event will open at 11am, with members of Monaco’s women’s football and rugby teams present, alongside club representatives.
Mr One Teas artwork as the centrepiece
At the heart of the stage will be an original artwork by artist Anthony Alberti, better known as Mr One Teas. The piece takes the form of a finishing-line arch, through which visitors who complete the trail are invited to pass.
“The idea is that when we pass through the curtain together it means we will have covered a few more miles towards equality between women and men,” he said.
A photo exhibition by photographer Le Turk, featuring local sportswomen from six disciplines including judo, athletics, gymnastics, football, basketball and rugby will also be displayed throughout the venue.
The workshops will be run in partnership with the Mairie de Monaco, the CHPG hospital centre, and a number of local associations including Pink Ribbon, Zonta Club and the Red Cross.
The hospital will focus on medical conditions affecting women, such as endometriosis and cardiovascular disease, which are the leading causes of death among women worldwide, though frequently under-diagnosed.
Gender equality in sports
On the issue of sport, Cottalorda noted that inequalities begin early. “There are sports that still remain gendered, some aimed more at girls, others more at boys, when fundamentally nothing prevents a boy from doing dance or a girl from doing boxing or football.” She added that the gap in media coverage also has knock-on effects: “Less coverage means less sponsorship, and therefore lower salaries.”
She also pointed out to the broader picture. According to the United Nations, women currently hold just 64 per cent of the legal rights than men do worldwide. At the current rate of progress, the UN estimates it will take another 286 years to close the gap in legal protections. “The road is still very long,” Cottalorda said.
The Powher event runs from 11am to 5pm at the Espace Léo Ferré on 6th March. It is also set to close with a youth eloquence competition at the Conseil National from 6pm. Entry is free and open to all ages.
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Main photo credit: Monaco Life