This March, the Columbia Global Paris Center celebrated Women's Month with eight events honoring women's empowerment and cross-cultural collaboration at Reid Hall. The series included concerts, panel discussions, and screenings, recognizing women who transcend borders and disciplines, making significant impacts in art, academia, climate activism, and more.
The series was launched on International Women's Day with the debut of the podcast, Atelier. Produced by the Paris Center and housed at Reid Hall, Atelier features discussions at the intersection of academia, the arts, social justice, and climate. The inaugural episode, featuring Center Director Brune Biebuyck, explored Reid Hall's rich history. The launch event included excerpts from upcoming episodes, a chamber music performance of the podcast’s theme music by Lili Boulanger, and a DJ set by the founder of Future Female Sounds, a non-profit empowering women in live music.
At another notable event, Sibylle Gollac discussed her co-authored book, Le Genre du capital, on economic inequality between men and women, despite formal equality. This event highlighted systemic issues that keep women economically disadvantaged and sparked a conversation on how these mechanisms operate across different social classes. During our "Cities and Social Solutions: Gender" webinar, representatives from Buenos Aires, Freetown, and Louisville discussed gender equity, gender-based discrimination, and feminist leadership in urban settings. In collaboration with Daughters for Earth and SHE Changes Climate, we organized an event on “Women in the Field,” focusing on the crucial role of women in sustainable agriculture and climate adaptation. Read the takeaways from a panel of farmers and climate specialists exploring the challenges women face in agriculture due to discrimination and unequal access to resources.
The event "Renée Vivien, Voix et Piano,” showcased the work of Renée Vivien, often called the “19th-century Sappho,” through a performance by actress Anna D’Annunzio and pianist Anna Krempp. Their collaboration brought Vivien's passionate work to life, emphasizing its contemporary relevance and emotional depth. Similarly, a concert tribute to composers Nadia and Lili Boulanger, held in collaboration with the Centre international Nadia et Lili Boulanger, a partner organization, celebrated the contributions of these pioneering composers and their historical connection to Reid Hall. A presentation of the exhibition "Chana Orloff: Sculpter l'époque" at the musée Zadkine celebrated the work of the pioneering Jewish Ukrainian-French sculptor. Presented by museum director Cécilie Champy-Vinas, it highlighted Orloff's remarkable contributions to 20th-century sculpture and portraiture, accompanied by a concert of Ukrainian music curated by the 1991 Project.
The series finale featured a live recording of the hit podcast Les Couilles sur la Table as part of their series “Nous faire justice,” addressing the need for justice and reparations for gender-based violence, particularly in the post-#MeToo era. “Silenciation des femmes dans l'histoire, néantisation dans la langue” featured a panel of four feminist historians.
Overall, the Women's Month series at the Columbia Global Paris Center was a powerful celebration of women's achievements and a call to action for continued advocacy and cross-cultural dialogue. Each event fostered a deeper understanding of the multifaceted challenges women face and the resilience they exhibit across various fields and disciplines.
Keep reading about this year’s events:
