On January 6, 2023, a remarkable gathering of gender-related UNESCO Chairs assembled under the roof of UNESCO/UNITWIN to address growing tendencies towards anti-gender discourses and policies at a global scale. UNESCO Chairs shared their unique national experiences for realizing convergences as well as divergences to devise strategies to challenge the anti-gender movement and gender inequality. The event was hosted by the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Culture, Prof. Hülya Şimga, Maltepe University, Turkey. Other speakers included:

-Begoña Lasagabaster, Director, Division for Gender Equality, Paris
-Prof. Gloria Bonder, Coordinator, Global Network of UNESCO Chairs on Gender, Argentina
-Prof. Bertil Emrah Oder, Chairholder, UNESCO Chair for Gender Equality and Sustainable Development,Turkey
-Prof. Yıldız Ecevit, Middle Eastern Technical University, Turkey
-Prof. Andrea Petö, Central European University, Austria

On behalf of Amrita, Dr. Bhavani Rao, UNESCO Chair for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, shared key findings from our research and interventions under the chair. She spoke about Amrita’s unique approach to addressing social issues in rural India is rooted in compassionate outreach and social inclusion.

In 2022, the Global Summit for Gender-Related Chairs and Networks (W36) was hosted by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. The summit invited all gender-related UNESCO Chairs and networks to share visions, bring together voices, and spark momentum for addressing challenges and co-building a bright future for all women and girls– especially within the fallout of the pandemic.