Happy to take part of the exhibition Women in Religions: from spiritual leadership to female empowerment, curated by Prof. Umberto Mondini at the Cornaro Art Institute, Limassol.
This exhibition is Part of the 5th International Conference on Arts and Humanities (ICSAH) and the Dante Alighieri Society of Nicosia in cooperation with the Libera Università Internazionale Degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (Luiss) and the Pontificia Università Salesiana, Italy
text by the curator:
"In continuation of the dialogue dedicated to women and gender-focused research, this year our aim is to explore the gender inequality within various religious systems and movements …
It is more than a cliché that gender plays a crucial role in religion, as most religious orders in the world were, and currently are, dominated by men. The role of women in cultic settings is, as a rule, secondary, as is also the authority of female ministers of religion, while the social benefits of those appointed with religious duties are also incomparable with the privileges received by men.
This year, we invite proposals that explore the female share in leadership roles related to religion (saints, prophetesses, priestesses, nuns, preachers, witches, shamans, gurus, heads of religious orders and more), and emphasize how their achievements are reflected in history and art. How have prominent female figures compromised men’s secured positions by of power in socio-religious structures? What was their role in shaping gender-responsive societies? We also encourage work that examines, through the lens of gender, the impact of religion on civic life by analysing the deeds of women of faith from a political perspective, or deal with cases of political power over religion, in cases of women who achieved change in traditional religious concepts, practices, customs or symbols. We welcome work that deals with all “religious” systems from ancient to present times."
