Women’s Day (8/3) will be celebrated by the Municipality of Athens, with a series of actions in Technopolis, to strengthen the female voice and deal with the phenomenon of gender-based violence. The program includes discussions, speeches by scientists and experts, screenings of short films and parallel information and awareness activities.

“International Women’s Day 2024 is an occasion to join our voices in favor of women’s empowerment and against gender-based violence. The Municipality of Athens, through a series of actions, calls on all citizens to embrace diversity and overturn stereotypes, with the goal of a fairer and more inclusive society”, said the mayor Haris Doukas and added: “Together let’s create the conditions for a gender neutral world understanding and equality and let’s ensure that every woman enjoys acceptance, respect, appreciation and equal participation.”

As part of the actions entitled “Knowing from the edge: On International Women’s Day we talk about gender-based violence”, on March 8, from 19:00 to midnight, the work “Pink Flag” (2021) by Georgia Lale will “dresses up” the facade of the town hall, using 3D projection mapping technology.

“The actions of March 8 are aimed at both adults and adolescents, with the aim of informing, raising awareness, but also preventing and dealing with the phenomenon, which focuses on gender inequalities, which cause the perpetuation of lower legal, social and economic position of women in society as a whole”, states the relevant announcement of the municipality, among other things.

The detailed program of actions:

March 8-10 – Friday 12:30-23:00, Saturday 10:00-22:00, Sunday 10:00-17:00 – Cleaning Tanks Room

The exhibition “The Guilt of the Neighbourhood” by the visual artist Georgia Lale includes the – especially for International Women’s Day 2024 – installation “Flag”, made of women’s sheets, which were offered to the visual artist during the performance “Alkyonides Meres”.

It also includes the project “Map of Greece”, which will be created on the morning of March 8 by teenage students in collaboration with Georgia Lale, as well as screen prints-reproductions of her works “Flag” (2021) and “Guilt of the neighborhood” (2023) exhibited at the Consulate General of Greece in New York in December 2023.

The exhibition will be open to the public, with a ticket of 2 euros. At the initiative of Georgia Lale, all of the revenue from the exhibition tickets will be donated to support the work of the non-profit organization “Diotima Center”, which specializes in gender and equality issues.

March 8, 10:00-12:30 – Program for high school students – Gas Station 1, “Miltiadis Evert” Amphitheater.

Screening of the short film “The Right Words” (France, 2021, directed by Adrian Moise Dylan), in collaboration with the Athens International Children’s Film Festival.

Speeches and discussions on gender stereotypes and consent, moderated by journalist Pelio Papadia.

Speakers:

Giorgos Nikolaidis, adult trainer-coordinator of the “Gender Alliance”, on the topic of “Gender Stereotypes”.

Irini Georgi, author, speaker, dating & communication consultant, on “Consent and French Fries”.

Vassilis Nanouris, educator, on “Gender Violence and the Educational System”.

Visit of the male and female students to the exhibition “The Guilt of the Neighbourhood” and their participation in the interactive performance of Georgia Lale for the creation of the “Map of Greece” project.

* All morning activities for girls and boys are closed to the public.

March 8, 17:00-21:00 – Athens Checkpoint – Exterior area of ​​the Cleaning Tanks hall.

The Athens Checkpoint sexual health and prevention center will be located outside the entrance of the exhibition providing free, anonymous and rapid tests for HIV and hepatitis B&C, distributing free condoms and informing the public about sexual health issues.

March 8, 19:15-20:30 – Gas Station 1, “Miltiadis Evert” Amphitheater.

“March 8, 2024: ‘Another anniversary?'”, speeches for the general public.

Speakers: Georgia Lale, visual artist, Maria Apostolaki, lawyer, coordinator of the Legal Service, Diotima Center, Maria Stratigaki, deputy mayor of Social Solidarity and Equality, Mary Leontsini, professor TEAPI – EKPA, president of the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Committee – EKPA. It will be moderated by Kostis Papaioannou, chairman of the Board of Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens, pr. president of the National Commission for Human Rights. The event will be prefaced by the mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas.

* Entry is free, priority order will be respected.

March 8, 20:30-23:00 – Underground area of ​​the Cleaning Tanks hall.

“ADYTON”, performance by Georgia Lale

After her participation in the afternoon panel, the visual artist will hold the performance “ADYTON” in the basement of the exhibition “The Guilt of the Neighbourhood”. Georgia Lale invites women and femininity to donate clean used sheets to her during the action. All colors, sizes and patterns of bed sheets are acceptable, provided they have been used to rest and dream of a world of equality and justice, in which they will not be afraid to claim the lives they desire. The entire performance will be videotaped and projected on screens throughout the three-day exhibition.

* Entrance with the symbolic ticket of the exhibition “The Guilt of the Neighbourhood”.