A city instilled with the values of equality and inclusion, Expo City Dubai is demonstrating its commitment to the global goal of achieving gender equality and empowering women with a slate of engaging and interactive experiences and learning opportunities around International Women’s Day.

Welcoming all ages and walks of life, initiatives include a flagship event featuring government leaders, climate activists, changemakers and the world-renowned all-female Firdaus Orchestra, as well as youth empowerment workshops, debates, innovation challenges and themed movie nights. Many events are hosted at the Women’s Pavilion – a hub that sparks meaningful discussions and drives action on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Sumaya Al Ali, Official Spokesperson, Expo City Dubai said: “The education and empowerment of women and girls – who make up half the global population – is a moral imperative, and it is vital that we leverage this huge, untapped resource in order to successfully tackle urgent global challenges like climate change.

“Ours is a thriving nation that clearly demonstrates the value of recognising women as strong contributors to social, economic and environmental progress. As proud host of COP28 and instilled with the same values as the UAE, Expo City Dubai will continue to create platforms for learning, action and dialogue that ensure women and girls continue to be included in addressing the world’s most pressing issues.”

Expo City Dubai’s upcoming initiatives include:

Fuel Your Power workshops – daily until 8 March Designed to help young learners create their own ‘box of power’, the Fuel your Power workshops invite students between six and 12 years old to find and celebrate their inner strength. Offered by the Expo School Programme at the Women’s Pavilion the free workshops showcase leading female role models from the past and present, inspiring and encouraging students to look within and capture the moments that grant them courage and confidence when they need it most.

Forces of Nature flagship event – 8 March Forces of Nature: Women at the forefront of saving our planet will feature a fireside chat with Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO, Expo City Dubai Authority. Sessions will hear from a diverse range of voices across different spaces, including Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for the COP28 Presidency, Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Global Compact, and Firdaus Orchestra conductor Monica Woodman. Limited tickets for this event are available for purchase at tickets.expocitydubai.com

Innovation challenge – from 8 March Reflecting this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’, Expo City Dubai, through the Expo School Programme, joins forces with HP and Innov8Tech to challenge girl innovators aged over eight years old, from across the Middle East and North Africa region, to find solutions to real-world problems that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a focus on digital equity and in line with the entities’ shared goals to drive diversity, equity and inclusion across the fields of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Art).

Movie nights – 8 March Jubilee Park will host the VOX Cinemas experience, screening ‘He Named Me Malala’ (2030), the documentary about Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, as well as ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1630) and ‘BRAVE’ (1830). The films are free to watch with seating available on a first come, first served basis.

Next Gen World Majlis – 9 March Students aged 14-17 years will debate how society can empower more women to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) – crucial disciplines for tackling the climate challenge. The invite-only session will see youth examine what the UAE is doing differently to attract women to STEM careers, the barriers they face, and how schools promote STEM as a passion for both boys and girls.

Women’s Pavilion The Women’s Pavilion at Expo City Dubai continues to welcome visitors to an interactive exhibition that highlights women’s achievements and successes throughout history, the challenges they still face, and ways to work together for a more equal world. Entry to the exhibition will be free on Wednesday, 8 March – International Women’s Day – and the Expo School Programme continues to offer school groups complimentary tours of the Women’s Pavilion as part of its regular offering. Otherwise, visitors can enter the Women’s Pavilion for AED 50 (single ticket) or as part of the AED 120 one-day Attractions Pass, available at expocitydubai.com.

The annual International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and is a call to action for accelerating women's equality.