Expo 2020 Dubai has reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, unveiling creative content and programming for the Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier, which will celebrate women change-makers around the globe.

Taking place in Dubai from 1st October, 2021, to 31st March, 2022, the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region – Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo since the 1900s to have a standalone pavilion dedicated to women.

Driven by a common conviction that the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aspirations for a peaceful and prosperous world cannot be achieved without gender equality and women’s empowerment, Expo 2020 and Cartier will come together to remind the world that full and equal participation of women in all fields is essential to building a more equitable and just world.

Under the exhibition titled “New Perspectives”, the Women’s Pavilion will invite visitors to recognise the central role that women, known and unknown, have played throughout history, leading up to the present.

Reem Al Hashemy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “The international community has made progress in gender equality and women’s empowerment, but much more needs to be done. By welcoming visitors from across the planet and from every walk of life, Expo 2020 Dubai is a unique, powerful platform that will drive the necessary attention to this issue.

“Gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) has been a central principle of the UAE since its inception 50 years ago as evidenced in initiatives by great female leaders such as H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and H.H. Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.”

The Women’s Pavilion features five structures with different narratives located on the ground floor: Introduction – expressing the purpose of the pavilion; Achievements – shining a light on women’s impact on the world; Challenges – acknowledging what is holding women back; Solutions – highlighting the initiatives enabling women to thrive so humanity can thrive, and Engaging with visitors – encouraging visitors to become champions of gender equality and women’s empowerment and take the journey forward.

Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International, said, “As gender inequality persists and continues to impact women’s lives, it is ever more imperative to show unity and togetherness in promoting women empowerment. We are honoured to take our long-standing support to women change-makers further by collaborating with Expo 2020 Dubai and present the Women’s Pavilion to a truly global audience.”

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, defender of and campaigner for women’s rights, women’s empowerment and gender equality, is renewing her endorsement of the Women’s Pavilion.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said, “I applaud the UAE for dedicating a space for the millions of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai to learn about the crucial roles that women play, from communities to the world stage, while recognising the challenges they still face every day.”

Inspired by references from Cartier’s creative heritage, French architect Laura Gonzalez reimagines the upper part of the pavilion’s façade, together with Dubai born artist, Kholoud Sharafi, and French light designer, Pauline David.

International multidisciplinary artist El Seed, who was born in France to Tunisian parents, is using Arabic calligraphy to spread the message of peace, unity and to underline the commonalities of human existence, his unique artwork transforms the lower part of the pavilion’s façade.

Nadine Labaki, Lebanese actress and the first female Arab director to be nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for the powerful Capernaum, will direct the Women’s Pavilion’s introduction movie, highlighting the brand’s manifesto “when women thrive, humanity thrives”.

Mélanie Laurent, French actress, screenwriter and director, takes over the second floor of the pavilion to curate an immersive exhibition fostering dialogues across cultural, artistic, and social fields in three sections.

Across the six months of Expo, the Women’s Pavilion will host an array of events, programming and meaningful dialogues.