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CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY (6 - 8 MARCH, 2025) - "Women. Heritage. Digital Technology: Action to safeguard World Heritage in Africa "
"Girls are the guardians of tomorrow. By giving them the keys to understanding heritage and the digital tools, we ensure the continuity of a livelyheritage, passed down by women, enriched by girls." - Madame Aminata TOURE, High Representative of the President of the Republic of Senegal, Theodore Monod Museum, March 8, 2025
This year, UNESCO celebrated International Women's Day under the theme: Women. Heritage. Digital Technology - Action to safeguard World Heritage in Africa from March 6 to 8, 2025 in Senegal. This event not only highlighted the essential role of women in world heritage conservation, a sector in which they play an important role and where their expertise deserves greater recognition, but also highlighted the contribution of digital technologies in this field.
"The event was a success, providing an important opportunity to raise awareness of using digital technologies in the heritage field. It is crucial to continue efforts by organizing further training courses and setting up a network of women involved in heritage management in the digital age. Future initiatives are necessary to support the younger generations and encourage greater involvement of women in this field." - Dr. A茂ssata THIAM, Archaeologist and Heritage Management Specialist in Senegal, March 2025
Over two days, 35 young girls from the Mariama Ba educational center on Gor茅e Island and over 85 students from Amadou Mahtar Mbow University and Cheick Anta Diop University benefited from practical workshops and interactive panels on innovative heritage and digital technology topics such as 3D modeling using photogrammetry, cartography and ecological monitoring by drone. They offered new and inclusive perspectives for safeguarding African heritage.
These activities, respectively held on Gor茅e Island, at the Dakar Urban Nature Reserve (Technopole) and at Cheikh Anta Diop University, were led by women cultural heritage experts from C么te d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco and Senegal. They raised awareness and introduced participants to professions linked to heritage conservation and digital technologies.
"The storytelling workshop was an enriching experience for the students of Mariama B芒 School and myself. Their enthusiasm, creativity and team spirit were remarkable. The workshop confirmed the importance of promoting artistic expression and the development of digital skills among young people." - Esi ATIASE NANGA, Videographer (Ghana), March 2025
The third day was devoted to an official ceremony at the Theodore Monod Museum/Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire (IFAN) on March 8, 2025, where around one hundred invitees attended a panel discussion featuring women World Heritage site managers from Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya and Senegal, and the restitution of their work. The panel addressed the challenges and opportunities faced by these professionals in their mission to preserve world heritage, and the restitution was marked by an appeal from Mariama Ba School students.
"Heritage, whether natural or cultural, represents a common interest for humanity. It tells the story of our peoples, contains our riches, and unites us across generations and borders. Yet it is threatened by time, oblivion and climate change, as well as by the exclusion of communities, particularly women, from its preservation. How can we hope to safeguard our heritage if half of our society is still too often excluded from it? Today, we are gathered for a cause that touches me deeply: the link between women, heritage and digital technologies. This link is powerful. [...] We, young African girls, want to be actors for change, to use these technologies to tell our stories, to make our voices heard and to ensure the transmission of our heritage to future generations." Extract from the closing message delivered by Mariama Ba school students at the Theodore Monod Museum, March 8, 2025
With financial support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the three-day event was organized in close collaboration with Senegal's Department of Cultural Heritage, and mobilized strategic partners such as the Department of National Parks, the Department of Community Marine Areas and the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire. The event was also attended by the High Representative of the President of the Republic, Mrs. Aminata Tour茅, the Secretary of State for Culture, Cultural and Creative Industries and Historical Heritage, Mr. Bakary Sarr, the Mayor of Gor茅e Island, Mr. Augustin Senghor, and the Rector of Cheick Anta Diop University, Alioune Badara Kandji.
Today, we reaffirm our commitment to working towards a future where every woman and girl can
realize their full potential, unhindered by barriers or prejudice. We must act with determination to break
down barriers and build a society where equality is not just an aspiration, but a tangible reality. UNESCO
is therefore committed to strengthening its presence in the world heritage field and increasing the
number of young women experts, particularly in Africa.
This initiative builds on sustainable efforts to support girls and women in West Africa through a sub-regional programme entitled "Girls for Culture | Culture for girls", which aims to address the root causes of gender inequalities in the cultural sector, and to help create an environment conducive to the inclusion and fulfillment of girls and women in educational, training, employment and professional development opportunities in the fields of culture and heritage.
Finally, in line with UNESCO Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2022-2029) and the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa, as well as with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the African Union 2063 Agenda, which aims not only to strengthen the presence of women in the World Heritage programme, but also to offer them the skills and opportunities they need to become key players in sustainable development.
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