Sharjah – Emirati Bodour Al Qasimi, founder of a project that supports women to overcome career barriers due to gender issues, PublisHer, spoke at the Rio de Janeiro International Book Biennial, which took place from September 1 to 10. Al Qasimi belongs to the family that rules the emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
According to news published in the Emirates News Agency (WAM), in the lecture, Al Qasimi urged women in the sector to unite, find strength in numbers, and call out workplace discrimination. It was PublisHer’s second event in Brazil after the project launch in São Paulo last year.
“Don’t tolerate any form of discrimination or encourage it by being silent. Speak up, stand up, and share your voice. It might be challenging, but that’s the process. No real change happens without sacrifice,” she said at the panel, featuring journalist Talita Facchini from the PublishNews website. Al Qasimi added there is power in group dynamics. “Work together, support one another, and create strong, supportive networks.” In the opening picture, Facchini (R) with Al Qasimi (L).
PublisHer planted its flag in Brazil in July 2022 with an event in São Paulo that signaled Al Qasimi’s intention to expand into more Latin American markets. Describing the reason for founding PublisHer in 2019, Al Qasimi said she refused to accept the world’s publishing sector, whose workforce is predominantly female, was disproportionately run by men.
“I was amazed by the similarities in stories we heard from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and North America, which confirmed that we were facing a global culture of unfairness,” she said.
The Book Biennial program also had a debate moderated by Facchini with seven female representatives from publishers. After the talk, the group visited the Biennial stands accompanied by event curator Martha Ribas. Al Qasimi also hosted a PublisHer dinner in Rio de Janeiro for Brazilian publishers to connect, network, and talk openly about collaborations to empower women.
Al Qasimi is president of the American University of Sharjah and leads several ventures in the emirate, including the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) and publishing group Kalimat. She is the founder of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA) and is highly involved in disseminating culture and literature in her country.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
