Latest news with #genderquality
CNA
27-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Osaka World Expo 2025: The Cartier Women's Pavilion champions a powerful message for gender equality
Walking through the grounds of the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, one can't help but notice an intriguing pavilion with a Kumiko-inspired facade, standing prominently beside the Japan pavilion. This lattice-like structure houses the Women's Pavilion, crafted by French luxury house Cartier in collaboration with the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition and the Japanese government, including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Gender Equality Bureau Cabinet Office. This powerful space conveys the message that 'when women thrive, humanity thrives'. It unites impactful architecture with a curated collection of stories, vital data, and transformative dialogue, aiming to drive global change for gender equality and spotlighting the important role of women in shaping a better tomorrow. Women's empowerment is a core pillar of Cartier's corporate social responsibility efforts. In 2006, the maison launched the Cartier Women's Initiative, which supports and champions women impact entrepreneurs. 'At Cartier, women have always been a source of endless inspiration and a cornerstone of the maison's creativity and values. For this reason, Cartier has been fully committed to supporting women empowerment through several long-lasting initiatives,' said Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier's former CEO and current chairman of culture and philanthropy, in an email interview with CNA Luxury. 'From the Cartier Women's Initiative to Cartier Philanthropy, the maison champions women changemakers, who are catalyst for social progress, helping them to scale their efforts, thrive in their pursuits and pave the way for generations to come," Vigneron added. The Women's Pavilion in Osaka is the second of its kind and runs till Oct 13. The first Women's Pavilion was presented by Cartier at Expo 2020 in Dubai. 'The World Expo, as a powerful global platform, provides Cartier with a unique opportunity to share its commitment to women's empowerment. Over the six months of the Expo, millions of visitors will come to Osaka and experience the Women's Pavilion and hopefully carry its message far beyond the Expo itself,' Vigneron commented. AN ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL The pavilion is designed by Japanese architect Yuko Nagayama. In a nod to sustainability, its Kumiko-inspired facade is repurposed from the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The structure honours traditional Japanese craftsmanship, incorporating over 7,000 individual components, each carefully hand-assembled without the use of a single nail or hammer. The facade will be given a third life after the Osaka Expo. It will be reused as the main stage structure of the Green Expo in Yokohama in 2027. As the Women's Pavilion is situated on a narrow lot, Nagayama drew inspiration from the traditional 'machiya' townhouses of Kyoto, known for their depth and integration with nature. She translated this by interspersing the space with greenery through the incorporation of gardens and courtyards within, creating serene spaces that offer respite and invite contemplation. Embracing the principles of the circular economy, the pavilion's gardens feature trees temporarily relocated from the mountains around Osaka. In a poetic gesture, they will be returned to their natural habitat following the conclusion of the Expo. AN IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION Inside the pavilion, visitors are invited to go on an immersive, multi-sensory journey led by an audio guide. The experience is curated by Es Devlin, an acclaimed contemporary artist and the pavilion's global artistic lead. Arriving through the entrance garden, guests are first invited to say their name into a mirror, a simple yet profound gesture that is meant to allow them to add their own voice to the pavilion. The doors then open into the next room, where visitors will watch a short film created by Devlin and film director Naomi Kawase. The film shares the story of three women from three different continents – Emtithal Mahmoud, a Sudanese American poet, activist and scientist, renowned Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto, and Xiye Bastida, a Mexican climate activist. At the end of the sequence, the film splits to form three oval apertures, and through the audio guide, guests are called by their name to enter one of them, where they will follow the stories of one of the three women. (To discover the stories of the other women, guests will have to re-enter the pavilion). Each path culminates at the "Ma" room, which in Japanese means a pause or an interval. Here, guests are invited to take a moment for reflection. Light penetrates the space through an oval aperture onto a dark oval table, whose surface is made of water scattered with black pebbles. The journey continues on to the Puzzle Box, a series of spaces that unfold like a Japanese puzzle box. This space presents facts and data in relation to gender equality across the globe, gathered by UN Women and the Gender Snapshot 2024. It's a sobering perspective on both the progress of gender equality and the challenges still to come. For example, climate change is further exacerbating inequality, with projections showing that by 2050, up to 158 million more women and girls could be pushed into extreme poverty. The experience ends with a room titled Your Hand, which showcases the voices of multiple activists who are working towards improving the lives of women globally. These include Emma Hosoi, a 14-year-old social entrepreneur from Japan raising awareness on marine conservation and biodiversity; Shani Dhanda, a social entrepreneur and disability advocate from the UK; Xintong Du, the founder of an affordable speech therapy platform from China; Anastasia Yeva Domani, a transgender rights activist from Ukraine; Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, a renowned Japanese actress, author and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and more. Each activists holds an oval aperture, and guests are invited to place their hand within each opening to receive a personal message from the activist, with words projected in light onto their hand. A SPACE FOR DIALOGUE Walking up the stairs to the second floor, guests will discover an artistic exploration curated by French actress and filmmaker Melanie Laurent. Laurent collaborated with Japanese artist Hiro Chiba to create Whispers on Leaves, a series of works that combine digital photography with Chiba's unique chlorograph technique, which infuses images with chlorophyll. Leaning into one of the artworks, guests will hear a soundscape composed by Laurent. At the sculpture garden, Laurent created a VR experience that reimagines Shakespeare's Ophelia as a modern figure of resilience and empowerment. The Women's Pavilion is 'more than a physical structure', said Vigneron. It also 'serves as a hub for dialogue and inspiration'. Reflecting this vision, the second floor of the pavilion features the WA (Japanese for harmony or peace) space, which will bring together international leaders, visionaries and experts for conversations and panel discussions on key global challenges around six themes – Mother Nature, Business & Technology, Education & Policy, Arts & Culture, Philanthropy, and Roles & Identities. The dialogues are open to public and visitors are encouraged to attend and participate by registering on the Women's Pavilion's website. Vigneron emphasises that the dialogue sessions aim to 'inspire action and remind visitors that everyone has a role to play in driving positive change'. A COLLABORATIVE VISION The Women's Pavilion was officially inaugurated with an opening ceremony held on May 21 at the Expo Hall with speeches and keynote addresses by Vigneron, June Miyachi, president and CEO of Cartier Japan, Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan, Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority of the UAE and more. Performances included a poetry recitation by JJ Bola, a writer, poet and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. The ceremony culminated in a moving performance that brought together folk singer Anna Sato, Wadaiko drummers, two youth soloists and international and Japanese choirs. They performed an original composition titled The Flower of the Human Heart, which expressed a call for resilience, unity and transformation. The performance embodied Cartier's collaborative spirit in advancing its social and philanthropic causes. When asked how Cartier is doing things differently from other luxury brands in driving positive change, Vigneron shared: 'In an era where luxury brands hold significant influence, Cartier recognises its responsibility to spark actions in driving change. What sets the maison apart is its unwavering belief in the power of collaboration.' 'By partnering with like-minded stakeholders who share its values, the maison actively works to address pressing global challenges and contribute to a more inclusive, durable future, one that resonates with generations to come,' Vigneron continued. In an era where luxury brands hold significant influence, Cartier recognises its responsibility to spark actions in driving change." – Cyrille Vigneron
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Lesego Chombo: Miss World Africa beauty queen and Botswana's youngest cabinet minister
Lesego Chombo's enthusiasm for life is as infectious as her achievements are impressive: she has won the Miss Botswana 2022 and Miss World Africa 2024 crowns, is a working lawyer, has set up her own charitable foundation - and made history in November, becoming Botswana's youngest cabinet was just 26 years old at the time - and had clearly impressed Botswana's incoming President Duma Boko, whose Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) had just won a landslide, ousting the party that had governed for 58 was a seismic shift in the politics of the diamond-rich southern African nation - and Boko, a 55-year-old Harvard-trained lawyer, hit the ground main focus, he said, was fixing an economy too reliant on diamonds, telling the BBC ahead of his inauguration that he wanted young people to be the solution - "to become entrepreneurs, employ themselves and employ others".Key to this was finding a suitable ambassador - and Chombo was clearly it: a young woman already committed to various made her minister of youth and gender."I've never been more proud to be young," she told the BBC at the ministry's headquarters in the capital, Gaborone."I'm a young person living in Botswana, passionate about youth development, gender equality, but also so passionate about the development of children."The beauty queen did not campaign to be an MP - she is what is called a specially elected member of parliament - and is now one of just six female MPs in the 69-member National said becoming an MP and then minister came as a complete surprise to her."I got appointed by a president who had never met me," she said."Miss World and the journey that I thought I was supposed to pursue as my final destination was only the platform through which I would be seen for this very role."It was her crowning as Miss Botswana in 2022 that raised her profile and enabled her to campaign for social change, while trying to inspire other young also gave her the opportunity to set up the Lesego Chombo Foundation, which focuses on supporting disadvantaged youngsters and their parents in rural areas – and which she is still involved with, its projects funded by corporate companies and others."We strive to have a world where we feel seen and heard and represented. I'm very thrilled that I happen to be the very essence of that representation," she said. As she prepared for last year's Miss World pageant, she said: "I really put myself in the zone of service. I really channelled it for this big crown."Now in political office, she is aware of the expectations placed on her in a country where approximately 60% of the population is below 35 also has a high level of unemployment - 28%, which is even higher for young people and women who have limited economic opportunities and battle systemic said this was something she was determined to change: "Currently in Botswana, the rates of unemployment are so high."But it's not just the rate of unemployment, it's also just the sphere of youth development."It's lacking, and so my desire is to create an ecosystem, an environment, a society, an economy in which youth can thrive."Chombo said her plan was to develop a comprehensive system that nurtured youth-led initiatives, strengthened entrepreneurship and ensured young people had a seat at the table when decisions were being Botswana's anti-corruption policy undergoing a rigorous review, she said this would ensure that quotas for young entrepreneurs - when state departments and agencies put out tenders for goods and services - were actually government has begun a 10-month forensic audit of government spending that will include 30 state-owned President Boko is intent on cracking down on corruption, seeing this as a way to bolter investor confidence and diversify the economy - something his deputy has been seeking to do on recent trips to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a key deal has now been secured with UAE-based CCI Global, a provider of business process outsourcing, to open a hub in Botswana. While youth development is a central pillar of her work, gender equity also remains close to her short time in office has coincided with a growing outcry over gender-based to a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, over 67% of women in Botswana have experienced abuse, more than double the global average."It hurts to know that it could be me next," she admitted.A month into her appointment, she was criticised for voting against an opposition motion in parliament to create "peace desks" at police stations and magistrate courts to quickly deal with the time she said such provisions already existed within the law and what was needed was more public was followed in January by a police report noting that at least 100 women had been raped and another 10 murdered during the festive season - this caused public outrage with many lashing out at her on social media over the minister reiterated - on several occasions, including before parliament in March - that Botswana had many laws and strategies in place and what was important was to ensure these they were actually she told the BBC the government would be pushing for the implementation of a Gender-Based Violence Act, aimed at closing legal loopholes that have long hindered justice for said she was also advocating a more holistic approach, involving the ministries of health, education and local government."We want curriculums that promote gender equity from a young age," Chombo said."We want to teach children what gender-based violence is and how to prevent it."It will boil down to inclusion of teaching gender equity at home, how parents behave around their children, how they model good behaviour." She has also been vocal about the need to address issues affecting men, particularly around mental health and positive masculinity, encouraging chiefs "to ensure that our patriarchal culture is not actively perpetuating gender violence"."I hear a lot of people say: 'Why do you speak of women more than men?'"It's because as it stands in society, women are mostly prejudiced [against]."But when we speak of gender equality, we're saying that it should be applied equally for everyone. But what we strive for is gender equity."Chombo, who studied law at the University of Botswana, said she was thankful to her mother and other strong women for inspiring her - saying that women had to work "10 times harder" to succeed."[My mother] has managed to create an environment for me to thrive. And growing up, I got to realise that it's not an easy thing."As women, we face so many pressures: 'A woman cannot do this. A woman can't do that. A woman can't be young and in leadership.' I'm currently facing that."She also credited Julia Morley, the CEO of Miss World, for helping her: "She has managed to create a legacy of what we call beauty with a purpose for so many young girls across the world."She has just inspired us so deeply to take up social responsibility."Chombo is serious about this. The beauty queen-cum-lawyer-cum-minister knows she has made history - but is also aware that her real work has only just begun."Impact. Tangible impact. That's what success would look like to me," she said."I want to look back and see that it is there and it is sustainable. That when I leave, someone else is able to carry it through."Additional reporting from Innocent Selatlhwa in Gaborone You may also be interested in: 'Without sport I'd probably be a criminal' - Olympic champion TebogoBotswana's politician who did the unthinkableWhy voters fall out of love with liberation movements Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
