To mark International Women’s Day, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Cornelia Pieper is inviting the public to a discussion on the topic ”The image of women in intercultural dialogue“ on Monday (8 March).

”The role of women is a key issue in intercultural dialogue. We want to overcome stereotypes so as to promote understanding and integration. Our ultimate aim remains complete equality between women and men. That applies as much to our German society as it becomes ever more diverse, as it does worldwide“, the Minister of State said. ”We must encourage women and girls from all cultural groups to take an active part in society and public life. This includes tackling very practical issues, for example working to end wage inequality between women and men or increasing the number of women in leadership positions.“

Leading female academics will join Minister of State Pieper in the discussion: Prof. Christina von Braun from Berlin, Dr Manar Omar from Cairo, the author Dr Necla Kelek from Berlin and engineer Dr Lamia Messari-Becker from Frankfurt. Andreas Lebert, editor-in-chief of BRIGITTE magazine, will chair the discussion.

One hundred years ago in Copenhagen, women from several European countries, among them Germany, proclaimed an International Women’s Day. Since 1977 8 March has been celebrated as International Women’s Day by the United Nations. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted by the UN in 1979, is the most ratified international treaty.