2009 Celebrations

The Division for Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning is organizing a series of events, in collaboration with a diverse range of partners, that will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 9 to 25 March 2009 to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Every year in March, UNESCO celebrates International Women’s Day (March 8) by hosting a flagship programme, consisting of round-tables, conferences, exhibitions and cultural events that highlight issues relating to the empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality.

Please find the message from the Director-General of UNESCO Mr Koïchiro Matsuura on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2009.

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UNESCO promoting women’s rights and empowerment through its programme:

• UNESCO celebrations for International Women’s Day focus on gender equality including equal access to quality education. For more


• Launched annually on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March), UNESCO’s Women Make the News is a global initiative aimed at promoting gender equality in the media. For more


• Two important meetings on women in the African Great Lakes region will be held in Mombasa (Kenya), in early April 2009. A month after International Women’s Day, they will highlight the urgency to act against violence towards women. For more


• The L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards For Women in Science recognize five laureates annually, one each from five parts of the world. For more

UNESCO events from around the world:

• On 5 March 2009, in the context of the celebrations for International Women's Day, the Brazilian Congress granted five Brazilian personalities the Bertha Lutz Award. For more
• UNESCO Iraq, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), created an innovative advocacy video on tackling women related issues in Iraq. For more
• UNESCO joined the United Nations theme group on Gender, to celebrate the 99th International Women’s Day in Nepal. The theme for this year is "Women and Men United to End Violence against Women and Girls." For more
• International Women's Day 2009 celebrations in Hanoi, Viet Nam. For more



UNESCO Headquarters' (PARIS) events: