Description
Inspired by her experience when speaking at a CTF/FCE Women's Symposium, the GTU General Secretary, Marie-Antoinette Corr, had a vision to host a similar event in her union. The result was a 400-person gathering of women and men (a small number of allies and carefully selected influential people) to celebrate International Women's Day. The symposium created a unique space for sharing ideas and experiences, bringing women together to learn from one another on how to navigate the unwritten rules of society. The symposium helped raise awareness about ongoing issues related to gender equality and women’s rights and it was an opportunity for women to celebrate their successes, to acknowledge their challenges and to identify ways and means for them to move forward and make meaningful contributions to the GTU, to the educational community and to society.
Objectives
The specific objectives of these activities are to:
- celebrate the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment but also;
- critically reflect on those accomplishments and strive for a greater momentum towards gender equality in the Gambia;
- promote and encourage a general understanding of gender related challenges, for instance violence against women;
- broaden the knowledge of women on GBV issues and to seek solutions.
Activities
The programme for the event included:
- Formal Opening Ceremony
- Keynote speaker (Invest in Women: Accelerate progress)
- Panel discussion (Inspire inclusion)
- Speeches (A world free of violence against women, Embrace equity)
- Break out sessions
- Four thematic Areas (TBD)
- Reporting/recommendations
- Plenary
- Closing Remarks
Outcomes
The intended outcomes were to:
- explore the issues that challenge female leaders today;
- describe what could stand in the way of their career goals;
- discover how to use gender as a competitive advantage;
- create a unique space for sharing ideas and experience.