An outdoor exhibition in Brussels, organized by the UN and the EU, features women from Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine, highlighting their diverse roles in areas such as war, work, and family life. The exhibition challenges gender stereotypes and addresses concerns about a rising global "gender backlash."
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Against the historic backdrop of Brussels’ Mont des Arts, a new open-air exhibition in Brussels, running until mid-June, is challenging the traditional view of eastern European and Caucasian female identity – where the path to gender equality is fraught with violence and discrimination.
‘The Many Faces of Womanhood’, organized by the UN and the EU, captures the multifaceted lives of women across Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine as they single-handedly raise families, create art, earn a living, and join the front lines to fight for their countries.
From wrestling world champion Irina Rîngaci to Ukrainian sniper and journalist Olena Bilozerska, the 36 works on display do not shy away from the complexity of the modern female experience – bringing together subjects who have overcome strict gender traditions.
As deputy regional director of UN Women Elisa Fernandez Saenz told EUobserver, it is a spotlight on “Women in their diverse roles, women in their complexities.”
The timing of the exhibition is no coincidence. Fernandez describes the project as a necessary intervention during a period of global “gender backlash” marked by a conservative shift in some regions where gender equality is increasingly seen as “a threat.”
Deputy regional director of UN Women Elisa Fernandez Saenz presenting the exhibit’s opening. Source: Gaia Neiman
During the opening of the exhibition on Friday (8 May), Laurence Gillois, who works for the UN Women office in Brussels, celebrated the stories behind the images as an emblem of progress.
“Deeply-rooted stereotypes continue to influence progress and outcomes, both in economic participation, in leadership, and in freedom from violence,” Gillois said.
The images will remain on show until 14 June, when they will be moved around between the countries of their subjects.
Olga Ivaschenko, the artist behind the lens of all 36 photographs, has been capturing the Ukrainian front lines as a photojournalist and found a connection with many of her subjects through shared resistance in times of conflict.