Monaco will transform the Espace Léo Ferré into an interactive exploration of women’s lives on Friday 6th March, with the third edition of POWHER challenging visitors to unlock clues about inequality while creating collective art and celebrating female athletes.
Visitors will navigate a treasure hunt through different life stages – from childhood to senior years – collecting clues to discover a password that grants access to the finish line. There, artist Mr One Teas has created an interactive collective artwork where participants contribute to the piece and take home a personalised souvenir.
“I wanted to propose an installation that echoes a fundamental struggle: that of equality, carried every day by women, in sport as in all areas of society,” explains Mr One Teas, who serves as ambassador for women’s rights.
The journey tackles topics many events avoid: sports stereotypes, first menstruation, treatment of female-specific pathologies, and what legacy current generations leave behind. Monaco associations and organisations will station themselves throughout the space, ready to answer questions visitors might hesitate to ask elsewhere.
Sportswomen take centre stage
Photographer Sébastien Salamand, known as Le Turk, has captured Monaco sportswomen in action across six disciplines: rugby, football, basketball, judo, athletics and gymnastics. The exhibition places female athletic achievement at the event’s visual heart, challenging assumptions about women in sport.
“This event aims to show the differences that exist in the life cycles of women and men, as well as the inequalities that can result from them,” explains Céline Cottalorda, Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights. “The event is intended to be fun but also informative, addressing themes people don’t always discuss openly.”
Sport provides the thematic thread running through the day – not as entertainment, but as lens for examining how society treats girls and women differently from boys and men throughout their lives.
Students debate equality before live audience
The day culminates at 6pm with an eloquence competition inside the National Council chamber, where Monaco lycée students will present arguments on ‘A Story of Equality: From Ego to Equals’. The competition will be broadcast live on Monaco Info, bringing teenage perspectives on gender equality to wider audiences.
Registration for student participants remains open until 15th February, giving would-be competitors two weeks to craft their arguments.
Now in its third year, POWHER has evolved from a single-day awareness event into an annual fixture that uses interactive formats to tackle subjects traditional conferences often render dry. The treasure hunt format ensures visitors engage with content actively rather than passively absorbing information from panels and speeches.
The free event runs from 11am to 5pm at Espace Léo Ferré, with the evening eloquence competition shifting to the National Council chamber at 6pm. No registration required for general attendance.
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Photo by Monaco Life