Women's Day Message 2022

Today we celebrate the strength, resilience and great contribution of women to our society. In a year of great uncertainty and in the face of the greatest security crisis in Europe after World War II, women have excelled in caring in times of pandemic, but also in leading States and organizations.  When dialogue fails, courage is needed to build bridges. And this is often spelled in the feminine.

At UCP, we are committed to equal opportunity between men and women, and we are an example in supporting and implementing female leadership at universities. We are the national HEI with the most equal leadership (45% women vs. 55% men), and we are proud to inspire generations of young people to promote a gender ecology that is inclusive, respectful, and cooperative. Women and men together are essential to the achievement of the ambitious millennium goals and without this collaboration a coherent sustainability strategy is not possible.

However, we must be aware that our bubble, unfortunately, does not yet represent the deeply unequal reality of the world we live in, where many girls do not have access to formal education for economic, social or cultural reasons. Among 156 countries, Portugal ranks 76th in terms of the completion of the global education cycle, and 12th out of 22 countries in Western Europe and North America. The work is not finished and it is our mission to contribute to the higher education of women and men in order to guarantee 'our' future, guided by the values of sustainability, dignity and inclusion.

With Pope Francis we are proud to see that with their work 'women make humanity a family'.  Let us also do our duty.

To all, a happy Women's Day!

Isabel Capeloa Gil