Women's rights take the stage in Bangladesh
Date:
SEVEN is a documentary play portraying seven pioneering female activists from Russia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Guatemala and Cambodia. The play captures the challenges and obstacles they have all faced, but what most grips the audience is their strength and courage.
On the 6th of March seven prominent women in Bangladesh will lend their voices to these stories, and perform a reading of the play at the Chayynaut Theatre at 7:00 pm.
The play is presented as a reading, every time performed/read by seven new persons who lend their voices to the stories of marginalized women. The readers often represent different aspects of society, e.g. politicians, activists, athletes, journalists and survivors of domestic violence. Each performance is a collaboration between stakeholders of the issues from civil society, government agencies, municipalities, student organizations etc.
Seven seeks to put women’s rights higher on political and social agenda by spreading these stories with the help of strong voices on stage. It has been a catalyst for change in the 32 countries where it has been performed, igniting new conversations on gender equality and women’s rights. So far Seven has been translated into 23 languages – Bangla is next!
In March 2014 in Dhaka, women Ambassadors and female heads of UN agencies performed Seven to mark International Women’s Day. It was a powerful moment for the audience of over 300 and for the readers. Building on this success, UN Women, supported by the Swedish Embassy will translate the play into Bangla and use it to mobilize efforts to prevent violence against women. For the launching of the Bangla version, seven women leaders from Bangladesh and the international community will again do a reading for International Women’s Day, hoping to attract a diverse crowd with thoughts and ideas on key women’s issues ad rights in Bangladesh today.
Seven was written by seven American playwrights in 2007, with support from Vital Voices Global Partnership.
For more information, please contact:
Roshni Kapoor
Tel: +880 184 715 84 58
UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. For more information: asiapacific.unwomen.org
ActionAid works with poor people in over 40 countries across the world with a goal to end poverty. ActionAid came to Bangladesh in 1983 to support an orphanage in Bhola named 'For Those Who Have Less' (locally known as 'Bittohin'). Today ActionAid is committed to changing the capacities of people and groups whose rights have been denied and violated in attaining justice and a life of dignity. For more information: http://www.actionaid.org/bangladesh