Dubai: Expo 2020 Dubai and Cartier held a spectacular celebration at Al Wasl Plaza to mark the official opening of the Women’s Pavilion, which was hosted by Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council and President of the Dubai Women Establishment.
Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office and Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, and Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International, were among those who opened the event. Laura Gonzalez, eL Seed, Nadine Labaki, and Mélanie Laurent, as well as ‘Friends of the Maison,’ were commissioned to curate and design the Pavilion. Monica Belluci, Vanessa Kirby, Ramla Ali, and Amira Casar were among the visitors, as were Yasmine Sabry, Fatima Albanawi, Dhafer L’Abidine, Fouz Al Fahad, Farida Khelfa, and Elisa Sednaoui.
The Women’s Pavilion by Expo 2020, organized in conjunction with Cartier and themed “New Perspectives,” urges visitors to honor and recognize the essential role women have played throughout history, up to the current day. The Pavilion strives to emphasize an essential principle: when women flourish, mankind thrives. By showcasing these contributions, as well as the obstacles that women around the world now confront, the Pavilion seeks to amplify an important principle: when women thrive, humanity thrives.
The first-ever Expo pavilion dedicated to recognizing the contributions of women, according to Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office and Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, builds on the progress the UAE has made in enhancing women’s role in both national progress and social development over the past 50 years. The evening was hosted by Liz Bohannon, a social entrepreneur and former Cartier Women’s Initiative fellow who has been working to establish enterprises that can address some of the most important issues confronting women and girls around the world. Guests were treated to a spectacular evening of performances by Diana Vishneva, Russian Prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, and Denis Savin, the main dancer of the Bolshoi Theater. Diana and Denis paid a lyrical tribute to Maya Plisetskaya, the greatest dancer of the twentieth century. Emi Mahmoud, a Sudanese-American poet and activist, wowed the crowd with a beautiful spoken word poem highlighting women’s courage and endurance. A beautiful musical performance by acclaimed pianist Khatia Buniatishvili and a children’s chorus from La Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine de l’Opera National de Paris brought the evening to a close.
A number of specially crafted lectures with notable executives and presenters from a variety of sectors and backgrounds, all addressing women’s empowerment from different angles, were also part of the two-day inaugural event. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Executive Director of UN Women, and Cyrille Vigneron, Vice President of the International Participants Department at Expo 2020 Dubai, moderated a discussion focused on the ripple effect that women’s empowerment has on society, ultimately demonstrating that women’s advancement is key to solving the world’s most pressing issues.
Former French Prime Minister and President of Leaders pour la Paix, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, provided the keynote introduction to the discussion dedicated to Women and Peace, emphasizing the vital role of women in maintaining peace and stable societies. Following that, Donia Kaouach, Managing Director of Leaders pour la Paix and President of Tunisiennes Fières, spoke with Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO; Zarifa Ghafari, activist and politician, youngest Afghan mayor; and Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO.
Farida Khelfa, a French-Algerian documentary filmmaker, led a discussion on reimagining education systems with Ramla Ali, a Somali professional boxer, model, author, and racial equality activist; Audrey Cheng, a Cartier Women’s Initiative fellow and Founder & Board member of Moringa School; and Lin Kobayashi, Co-founder and Chair of the Board of UWC ISAK Japan.
The day came to a close with a discussion about climate change and the role artists and activists can play in raising awareness about one of the world’s most pressing issues. Vanessa Kirby, actress and film producer, met with Salma Abdulai, Founder and CEO of Amaati Co; Kate Horner, Deputy Executive Director of Amazon Frontlines; Mélanie Laurent, actress, screenwriter, and director; Thyago Nogueira, curator of the exhibition “Claudia Andujar, the Yanomami Struggle”; and Nemonte Nenquimo, Waorani Leader and activist, all of whom were supported by Amazon Frontlines.
A wide network of innovators and artists were brought on to participate in the design and curation of the Women’s Pavilion, drawing on Cartier’s role in fostering artistic expression. The upper half of the façade was created by Laura Gonzalez, who collaborated with Dubai-born artist Kholoud Sharafi and French light designer Pauline David. Laura had this to say about her contribution: “When Cartier called me to design the Women’s Pavilion’s façade, I saw this project as a representation of the reality that every woman may achieve her goals. Because first impressions matter so much, I’m happy for this opportunity.”
Nadine Labaki, Lebanese actress and the first female Arab director to be nominated for an Oscar in the category for Best Foreign Language Film, directed the short film featured as guests enter the pavilion where she highlights the meaning of gender equality through the lens of young activists from around the world. French actress, screenwriter and director Mélanie Laurent took over the second floor of the pavilion to curate an immersive exhibition fostering dialogues across cultural, artistic, and social fields in three sections.
