Czech Republic Egypt

Closing Remarks: Czech and Egyptian Heroines

BRUSSELS, 11 March 2024 / PRN Africa / -- Dear Prof. Dr. Sayed Kandil, the President of Helwan University,

Prof. Dr. Amr Samy, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University,

Prof. Dr. Omnia Yehya, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University,

Your Excellency, Ivan Jukl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Egypt

Excllencies, colleagues representing EU Member States

Distinguished artists and participants with us today

Let me first congratulate all of you, all women and men in Egypt, on the Women’s International Day. Let me also extend warm congratulations to the curator and the young artists who contributed to this inspiring exhibition on ‘Czech and Egyptian Heroines’.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the European Union, I am pleased to be present today to celebrate the closure of the ‘Czech and Egyptian Heroines’ project.

I had the pleasure to participate in its opening in the margins of the ‘Aswan International Women Film Festival’ at the start of its journey a year. Then, it was an honour to host one of its stops at the EU Residence last year, in celebration of Europe Day in May 2023.

I must say the exhibition has been an inspiring experience. The idea to present Czech and Egyptian Heroines is unique in itself, and the approach of travelling throughout Egypt was pertinent to acquaint the public, particularly youth, with outstanding women who enriched the history of their countries.

In Egypt, women’s empowerment and the promotion of their role are at the core of the EU-Egypt’s Partnership Priorities. In this respect, we work and collaborate closely with our EU Member States through projects and initiatives in a broad spectrum of domains, in the framework of ‘Team Europe’.

Today, the presence of my colleagues from EU Member States reflects an example of our Team Europe for Women’s Empowerment in Egypt.

Culture and art are significant means for highlighting the role of women, and for raising awareness about gender equality and building cultural ties and tolerance in any society.

Egypt and Europe have developed longstanding cultural and societal bonds. This exhibition reflects an important addition to such bonds. It shows to the public that at the end those were heroines who might have shared universal human values, aspirations, and common challenges.

It is important that we keep focus on culture and art as a means for strengthened collaboration and for promoting the role of women everywhere, and in all walks of life.

Not far from here there is another exhibition tonight about the ‘Great Women of Egypt’. In partnership with the National Council for Women, the exhibition sheds the light on pioneer women who paved the way for the women of today and who influenced Egypt’s modern history in different domains.

These initiatives represent an important opportunity for the youth to know more, this is why it is essential that we as EU and Member States’ partners and friends to Egypt continue highlighting the experiences of role models, women and men.

Finally, I would like to thank very much the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Helwan University and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Cairo for their kind invitation to participate in this event.

I wish for more and more of these inspiring initiatives. Happy International Women’s Day.

Copyright European Union, 1995-2024

SOURCE European External Action