International Women's Day 2019: The Time Is Now

On 5 March 2019, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in partnership with the Lebanese Academy for Fine Arts (ALBA) at the University of Balamand, celebrated International Women’s Day 2019, under the theme “The Time Is Now”.

For the occasion, ALBA students designed an ambitious and interactive multimedia installation at the United Nations House, comprised of videos, photos, animations as well as interactive artworks using augmented reality (AR) technology with the aim to attract public attention on the worst forms of discrimination facing women in the region. Drawing upon the findings of ESCWA publications, the exhibition also highlighted the positive role that women play in their communities and some of the many fields where Arab women have excelled.
 
The official ceremony, which took place at the UN House in Beirut in the presence of a large crowd of diplomats, government representatives, civil society, academia, and women rights activists, featured statements by Ms. Rola Dashti, ESCWA Executive Secretary, Mr. Alain Brenas, Director of the School of Cinema and Audio-Visual Directing at Alba, and Ms. Nidale El Achkar, renowned actress and theater director. It concluded with a moving artistic performance by rising Lebanese actress Ms. Natasha Choufani, and the distribution of certificates of appreciation to ALBA students who shared their experience on the preparation of the art installation.