Politics, pornography, pay equity on tap for global women's congress

5 July 2011, OTTAWA – Intensive programming at Women’s Worlds 2011 today will cover such timely issues as women in politics, sex trafficking, pornography, and equal pay for equal work. The central theme of this second day of the global feminist congress is “Breaking Ceilings”.

“From economic oppression to restricted access to positions of power or to power itself, we want to showcase how women across the planet are dismantling the ceilings - glass and otherwise - that serve to maintain women's inequality,” says Rianne Mahon, event co-chair, the 11th in a series which began in 1981.

Plenary, In-Focus, and concurrent sessions scheduled throughout Tuesday will speak to the “Breaking Cycles” theme by exploring efforts around the world to advance women into positions of power. Some sessions will even explore the ceilings within women's movements themselves which benefit a few and keep the rest from leadership or from being heard.

Programmatic highlights for Women’s Worlds 2011 on Tuesday, 5 July:

  • Nicole Schwab, gender advisor to Fortune 500 corporations, Danièle Magloire, Haitian feminist, and Waneek Horn-Miller, Aboriginal athlete, will address 2000 women from 91 countries at opening plenary session: 9:30-11am, Ottawa Convention Centre
  • Strengthening Women and Communities through Micro-Finance, 1-2:30pm
  • Harms of the Pornography Industry: Re-igniting Feminist Resistance, 1-2:30pm
  • Provincial Perspectives on Pay Equity in Canada, 1-2:30pm
  • Women and Leadership in Politics and Business  (Presented by Carleton University Centre for Women in Politics and Public Leadership), 3-4:30pm
  • Sur-veil-ling Borders: The Gaze on Veiled Muslim Women Bodies, 3-4:30pm
  • Women and the Earth: Climate Change and Resource Extraction, 5-6:30pm

Photo highlights:

  • "Flesh Mapping : prostitution in a globalized world" will be presented by the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter and la Concentration des luttes contre l'exploitation sexuelle at 11:30am-7:30pm, 4-7 July, Terminus, Jock Turcot University Centre
  • Women and Humour : Alumni Auditorium, University Centre (UC), 1pm
  • Our Unspoken Stories: A Movement in Art & Voice- UCU Agora 145, 3-4:30pm
  • Take me to your leader- take me to your taker : SAW Gallery, 9:30pm

WW 2011 (www.womensworlds.ca) is an international and interdisciplinary congress that will explore how issues like equality, human rights, economics, labour, education, environment, and development relate to women. This is the largest gathering of women from around the world to ever take place in Canada and aims to enhance women's leadership skills and organizational capacity.

WW 2011 is co-hosted by Carleton University and the University of Ottawa.  

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Media credentials

Official program

For details and to arrange interviews:

Caitlin Kealey
Media Relations, Women’s Worlds 2011
caitlin@womensworlds.ca
(011 1) 613 818 7956

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