HeForShe Arts Week Bangkok brings gender equality to the forefront of the public sphere
Date:
Author: Alejandro Hita
HIGHLIGHTS
■ MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE WEEKLONG EVENT ■ 7 INTERNATIONAL FILMS SCREENED + SIDE EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS ■ MORE THAN 130 POSTS IN FACEBOOK BY UN WOMEN ROAP AND PARTNERSHIPS ■ 159 TWITTERS USERS CONTRIBUTED A TOTAL OF 225 TWEETS WITH THE HASHTAG #ARTSWEEKBANGKOK AND REACHED 1.9 MILLION POTENTIAL USERS. ■ THE HEFORSHE ARTS WEEK BANGKOK FACEBOOK EVENT REACHED 6,300 PEOPLE AND ENGAGED 520 PEOPLE ■ MORE THAN 40 PIECES IN MANY OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONLINE AND PRESS MEDIA ■ MORE THAN 350 MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND MEDIA WERE INVITED TO THE OPENING RECEPTION ■ PARTNERSHIPS WITH DONORS, CELEBRITIES, UN AGENCIES, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND MEDIA PARTNERS WERE STRENGTHENED
Bangkok, Thailand — Perfectly timed with International Women’s Day, the weeklong HeForShe Arts Week Bangkok took place from 8 to 15 March in Bangkok, Thailand. The event - synchronized in other capitals of the World: London, New York, Madrid, Panama City, Paris, Santiago de Chile and Sao Paulo- was organized by UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific to bring public awareness –through arts and culture– on multiple forms of gender inequality women continue to face today.
The HeForShe Arts Week Bangkok was organized in an effort to prevent such realities before they start by communicating with the mass public. The performance and artwork were composed of ethnic, age, and gender diversity selected based on core messages and their promotion of gender equality and rights of women and girls.
The Opening Reception on March 8th was focused on International Women’s Day’s theme “Women in the Changing World of Work”, and began with opening remarks from Miwa Kato -Regional Director of UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. In addition, remarks from three Ambassadors to Thailand -from Sweden, Canada and Australia- all of whom are committed to the achievement of gender equality and the HeForShe solidarity movement, were made and national celebrities were present. In her opening remarks, Miwa Kato said: “For more than 100 years, International Women’s Day has been a day to celebrate the social, cultural, economic and political achievements that women have made and continue to make around the world. The Asia-Pacific region has seen been remarkable achievements in recent decades, not just in terms of economic growth but also advancements in providing basic social services such as health care and education. But the benefits of development have not been evenly distributed, with women much more likely to be amongst those left behind”.
Several senior representatives from businesses who are already active in the quest for gender equality - VISA, AccorHotels, Orami, Valencia F. C. and IKEA- participated in a Panel Discussion on the International Women’s Day’s theme. Around 300 people attended the event, with extensive outreach in the press and social media. Given the presence of celebrities at the opening reception, the media reach was increased.
During the week, several cultural initiatives brought gender equality to the forefront of the public sphere. Featured artists and creative practitioners who embody the vision of UN Women and the spirit of the HeForShe movement performed in the heart of the city, and inspired the community to shift culture positively. Thought-provoking shows, including exhibits, performances, wall painting, screenings, talks and panels discussions, were held free-of-charge at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre (BACC).
Some highlights included a physical, tailor-made theatre act by B-Floor, and a contemporary dance performance on ending violence against women and girls by New Cambodian Artists. Xyza Cruz Bacani, a Filipina street photographer and former domestic worker in Hong Kong who today is Magnum Foundation's Human Rights Fellow- showcased her work together with Swedish Johan Bävman who presented his work about parental leave. In addition, a unique exhibition of 50 female comic artists hailing from Spain, and a number of side events and panel discussions were also held at BACC and Chulalongkorn University.
In parallel, a film festival was celebrated in SF World Cinema Central World from 9 to 12 March 2017 featuring seven award-winning films and documentaries from Turkey, India, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Germany, Canada, Australia and Sweden. The selected movies were screened free-of-charge during this four-day film festival, delivering important gender equality messages through portraying the daily realities of millions of women and girls across the world including domestic violence, child marriage, ‘honour’ killings, sexual harassment and rape, limited access to education and unsafe labour migration.
Photo Gallery
Media Coverage
- HeForShe Arts Week Bangkok Media Annex | Low resolution | High resolution |
Reports
- HeForShe Arts Week Bangkok Full Report | Low resolution | High resolution |
- HeForShe Arts Week Bangkok Report short version | Low resolution | High resolution |
For more information:
Please contact, Alejandro Hita
Advocacy Officer, HeForShe Regional Campaign Coordinator
UN Women Asia and the Pacific
Tel: +66 2 288 2387
Email: [ Click to reveal ]