IIW 2023 Welded Art Book

SDG 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Through the pledge to “Leave No One Behind”, countries have committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind, first. SDG 5 aims to grant women and girls equal rights, opportunities to live free without discrimination including workplace discrimination or any violence. This is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. nExhibit “Monument to Working Women”n The exhibit represents a woman watering a furrowed field. Although Ricard usually works with iron, this exhibit is made of cut, machined and welded recycled brass. He based it on his recalling of a childhood friend’s grandmother who was a farmer and often worked in her plot. She used to divert the flow of water by doing and undoing ridges with her hoe, and that activity is what the sculpture represents. Since its inauguration in 1996 it was fittingly located in the pond of the Carrencà farmhouse, a public place at Martorelles (Barcelona), and served as a fountain. After having been renovated by its artist, it awaits a new location now that the pond no longer exists.

In many regions of the world, collecting water is primarily the responsibility of women whose lives are further impacted by lack of water and sanitation because they are responsible for the care of children, who are affected by diarrheal diseases. Furthermore, in some nations, 50% of girls drop out of school due to lack of toilets. In Bangladesh, it was shown that the provision of microcredit loans to women increased the presence of latrines in their households from 9% to 26%. Unfortunately in many developing countries, basic finance is a major impediment to women progressing. A good example of overcoming this however is that of the Indian government which has enabled new avenues of credit, insurance and Direct Benefit Transfers to the poor, including to over 200 million women, thereby accelerating their economic empowerment which can lead to pursuing opportunities in welding related fields as well as others. nDimensions of exhibitn 60 cm high x 40 cm square

›

›

39

Welded Art PHOTOGRAPHIC Exhibition – IIW 2023 Digital Collection