Italy-backed resolution approved. Bonino presents “Women for Expo” to members of BIE
As of today, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) pledges to organise initiatives associated with the empowerment of women developed through “Women for Expo”, and to see that this becomes a permanent attribute of future Universal Expositions.
The resolution, proposed by Italy, was unanimously approved during the 158th session of the Bureau’s General Assembly.
Former foreign minister Emma Bonino presented “Women for Expo” to the Bureau members on the wave of the success of the 6-month Milan Expo. The project, which was born on the impetus of then-minister Bonino, set the goal of giving the Expo a female connotation by foregrounding the role of women in nutrition and, above all, through the involvement of women in the debates that the event proposes to elaborate on the topic of food security as a global challenge.
The initiative was conceived to raise the awareness of governments, civil society and public opinion on the importance of giving women a greater role in meeting the challenge of ensuring everyone access to safe and proper nutrition.
Expo proved to be a perfect platform for the development of ideas and identification of specific areas of intervention, as well as for involving international personalities in events aimed at eliminating the gender discrimination that persists in the food production and distribution chain and, more in general, at sensitising the public to women’s role in society.
World-wide promotion takes its strength from an international board made up of 28 illustrious persons, who include Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, first lady of Mozambique Maria da Luz Guebuza, foreign ministers of Ghana and Croatia Hanna Tetteh and Vesna Pusic and Indian activist and environmentalist Vandana Shiva. Even Michelle Obama, on the occasion of her visit to the Milan Expo on 17 June, offered her support to “Women for Expo”.
