Minister for Equality, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, and the Minister for Education, the Hon Dr John Cortes, hosted the winners of the recently held Gender Equality Art Competition organised by the Ministry for Equality together with the students who delivered presentations on International Women’s Day when this was marked by both comprehensive schools and the Gibraltar College.

Over the past four years, the art competition and the speeches by students have become an annual feature of the Ministry of Equality’s programme for International Women’s Day and part of the gender equality strategy. Minister Sacramento congratulated all the students for their efforts and thanked them for their commitment to gender equality issues.

This year, the winning entries of the art competition were used in the design of stamps which were issued on 8 March, International Women’s Day. The winners of the competition were Eliana Medici (Westside School), Kiarah Gomez (Bayside School) and Sara Rumford (Westside School). The winning entries have been framed and are displayed in the boardroom of the Ministry of Equality.

The students who delivered presentations were Saray Imlach (Westside) Jasmine Mahtani and Mathew Porter (Bayside School), Nicola Gee and Matthew Cornelio (Gibraltar College).

Also invited to the reception were the Head Teachers of the two secondary schools, Michelle Barabich and Michael Tavares, and the Principal of the College, Leon Abecasis, as well as teachers who support the Ministry of Equality’s gender equality work in the three institutions.

Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento, said, “I am delighted to be able to host the winners of this year’s Gender Equality Art Competition organized by the Ministry of Equality and the speakers who addressed the three institutions at the International Women’s Day event, and for them to be joined by their head teachers.

“The Gender Equality Art Competition is an important initiative which allows the younger members of our community to reflect upon gender equality issues in a creative, original and personal fashion. I believe that it is essential for young people to have a voice and for them to be able to articulate their views in ways that are positive and inspiring. This year the winning entries are featured in local stamps and this means that the students’ ideas about gender equality will travel far and wide. In fact, they already have, as I was able to present Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex with a set of these stamps at a function during my recent visit to the United Nations for the Commission of the Status of Women. I am also very proud to be displaying the winning artwork and the stamps in the boardroom of my office. I would like to thank my team at the Ministry of Equality and the Department of Education for their invaluable and ongoing support and all teachers involved in promoting the art competition and gender equality.”

The Minster for Education, Dr John Cortes said, “Integrating initiatives such as this into the schools, with the support of teachers and pupils, is an increasingly important part of education, making them accepted as core values in our society. It is a pleasure for us to once again work together with the team from the Ministry for Equality in driving these important principles.”