Donor: Skanska, Inc.
Local Ally: Centro Colombo Americano de Medellin
Beneficiaries: 30 women
Location: Palmitas, Medellín, Antioquia
Led by the Indian-American artists and activist Saumya Deva, Centro Colombo Americano implemented “Lab 37 – Female Leaders: Empowering Women” where they worked with a group of women from Palmitas, Antioquia. In this lab, Deva and art students from the University of Antioquia went over the eco-tourism, eco-agriculture, and eco-marketing program these women participate in and showcased the manner in which they continue to overcome gender inequality. These observations were shared through talks where they also explored the topic of women’s rights or lack of in other countries, and the actions taken by invididuals and leaders to right these practices.
Deva, the art students, and the participants of this project then created an art exposition composed of installations as well as photos that were made into movie posters showing the women as “heroines that defeat the enemies of gender equality that in other times did not let women reach success.” The exposition was shared at a gallery with over 1,300 attendees and showcased the importance of “empowering women economically so as to strengthen their leadership” while at the same time serving as an echo of the voices of women found worldwide.