10 March 2025, Paris - On the occasion of International Women's Day, UNESCO brought together ministers, experts and cultural professionals to define key priorities for policies, research and action in the field of gender equality and the position of women in the cultural and creative sectors. The thematic consultation entitled "ART FOR ALL at the Heart of Tomorrow's Cultural Policies" resulted in recommendations that will be presented at the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development - MONDIACULT 2025 with the aim of including the topic of gender equality in the post-2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Minister of Culture and Media, dr. sc. Nina Obuljen Koržinek participated in the ministerial panel discussion "Shaping a Global Agenda for Culture", together with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Culture, Arts and Heritage of the Republic of Kenya, Ummi Bashir, and the Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth of Mongolia, Chinbat Nomin. The panel was moderated by UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture, Ernesto Ottone Ramirez.
At the World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development - MONDIACULT 2022, ministers of culture from around the world emphasized the need for cultural policies to serve gender equality through systemic change. In the introduction to the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration, they warned of the negative impact of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the entire cultural sector. The crisis has further exacerbated gender inequalities, limited access to culture and led to restrictions on fundamental and artistic freedoms. Women - artists, cultural workers and bearers of traditional knowledge, whose status and living conditions are further endangered, are particularly affected. Therefore, the ministerial panel discussion focused on the exchange of experiences on the specific challenges that women in the cultural sector faced during and after the pandemic, as well as the strategies implemented by countries to empower women in different areas of culture.
In her address, Minister Obuljen Koržinek pointed out that equality between women and men is a key aspect of society, and thus of cultural policies, both in their definition and implementation. She also reminded that cultural rights are fundamental human rights that belong to women and men equally, and their realization contributes to cultural diversity and human creativity.
In her presentation, the Minister particularly emphasized the importance of preserving the cultural and creative sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that the measures taken by Croatia were primarily aimed at preserving jobs, and especially taking into account that in times of great crisis, uncertainty and uncertainty, artists were additionally engaged as parents in their homes. "In the run-up to Mondiacult 2025, let us question the principles and consider new options for responding to the challenges we are surrounded by every day," was the conclusion of the minister at the first panel.
The key issues highlighted in the 2022 MONDIACULT Declaration, which emphasizes the connection between culture, sustainable development and human rights, were discussed below. The ministerial discussion covered the impact of digital technologies and artificial intelligence on the future of creative work and the challenges in protecting cultural heritage during crisis situations. Also, the importance of strengthening the role of women in the process of shaping cultural policies and their active leadership in providing solutions to global challenges was discussed.
Referring to the role of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, the Minister warned that it is necessary to maintain the focus and not allow AI-based technologies to take over jobs and processes in culture and creative industries, which would seriously jeopardize previous and current efforts regarding copyright, the rights of artists and cultural professionals, cultural diversity and freedom of artistic expression.
Furthermore, the Minister presented the project "Women and Media", which was launched in Croatia by the Agency for Electronic Media with the aim of raising awareness of the position of women in society and reducing stereotypes, and reminded that the Ministry of Culture and Media and the Croatian Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with L'ORÉAL ADRIA, have been awarding the National Award for Women in Science for 19 years. thus supporting young women scientists in the final phase of doctoral studies.