The first official collaboration between the two groups was announced in connection with International Women’s Day; the UN organization joins Disney as a supporter of the women’s creative initiative with an emphasis on projects from Africa.
Last Friday, in honor of International Women's Day, WIA revealed their first official collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since the announcement of their historic partnership in November of 2023. As part of that collaboration, UNESCO has announced its support toward the Stories x Women program, an initiative aimed at facilitating access to international opportunities for women creatives who want to tell their authentic stories from emerging national film and audio-visual animation communities of Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. The collaboration is part of UNESCO’s International Women’s Day call to action, “Invest in women: Accelerate progress.” The global organization now joins The Walt Disney Company as a supporter of the Stories x Women program. UNESCO’s investment will specifically go toward uplifting creatives from Africa.
“We are thrilled by the generous support of UNESCO on this International Women's Day,” WIA President Marge Dean said. “Their investment in the Stories x Women program is proof of our shared commitment to empowering women creatives worldwide. We’re honored to continue working together to bring more women’s voices and stories to the world.”
“UNESCO is proud to join forces with the Walt Disney Company to support women animation filmmakers in the Global South,” Ernesto Ottone R, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Culture said. “The upskilling opportunities will give rise to diverse stories rarely told - brought to life through the boundless medium that is animation. Investing in women creators enriches the society as a whole, both culturally and economically.”
The announcement noted that both organizations believe in the transformative power of animation as both a viable and sustainable employment opportunity for women globally and an exceptional vehicle for sharing local cultural stories with a global audience.
The Stories X Women program will select up to five two-person teams from a competitive pool of candidates, to be announced in April. The teams will benefit from a series of mentoring and coaching sessions led by internationally acclaimed animation experts who will prepare them to pitch their projects at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market in June 2024. The teams must have a woman or nonbinary in a leading role (producer, director and/or screenwriter) and must have pitch-ready projects that are either an animated film or series. All participant expenses are paid for by the program, including travel, lodging, and accreditations.
Since its founding in 1946, UNESCO has collaborated closely with civil society organizations and other partners that support and advance its diverse activities and programs around the globe. UNESCO gives priority to gender equality in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNESCO’s gender message is clear: “Women and men must enjoy equal opportunities, choices, capabilities, power and knowledge as equal citizens. Equipping girls and boys, women and men with the knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills to tackle gender disparities is a precondition to building a sustainable future for all.”
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
