From “What? A Woman?” to “What a Woman!”

Public lecture: 

Have women finally broken through the political glass ceiling? Are Hillary Clinton, Theresa May, Angela Merkel, Nicola Sturgeon and Leanne Wood symptoms of a fundamental shift or mere aberrations in a persistently male-dominated arena? Can women also rise to the top in other spheres, or are the odds stacked against them?

In a revealing lecture, Dr Wendi Momen, an international expert, pinpoints the issues and highlights the surprising influence of the United Nations on the gender scene worldwide. Her public lecture will be delivered on Wednesday 30 November at 6.00pm in the Eric Sunderland Lecture Theatre, Main Arts Building, Bangor University. All are welcome to attend. The lecture is sponsored jointly by Bangor University and the Menai Branch of the United Nations Association.

The United Nations has recently come under fire for appointing the comic-book character Wonder Woman as its new Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. An online petition has argued that Wonder Woman was not an appropriate choice, noting the character’s physique as: ‘a large-breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring bodysuit with an American flag motif and knee-high boots – the epitome of a pin-up girl’. Critics said it was ‘disappointing’ that the UN ‘was unable to find a real-life woman who would be able to champion the rights of ALL women on the issue of gender equality and the fight for their empowerment’.

The lecturer, Dr Wendi Momen, holds a BSc in Economics and a PhD in International Relations, both from the London School of Economics, where she is a Governor, and works as a book editor. She was awarded the MBE in 2014 for services to the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. She is a founder of Advance, a body that promotes justice, education and empowerment for women.

Publication date: 22 November 2016