A look back at “Donner des elles à l’UM” in pictures
As it does every March, the University of Montpellier organized its “Donner des elles à l’UM” event to promote gender equality. The event featured workshops, a roundtable discussion, a home movie screening, and the creation of a mural titled “Theory of Being Together.” A look back in photos and testimonials at this 5th edition, held virtually and led by the Workplace Quality of Life Department of the Campus Life Division.
A man and a woman are assembling a large poppy that floats above their heads. The man is perched on a stepladder while the woman balances on a pyramid of chairs. This is how Montpellier-based artist Débitdebeau chose to illustrate the theme of gender equality in the professional and academic worlds. “The poppy and the red thread are recurring elements in this artist’s work; it is also a reference to the ‘Nous voulons des coquelicots’ movement,” explains Victoria Beauchesne, a civic service volunteer in the art and culture department, who assisted the artist during the creation of this piece. This work, titled Théorie d’être ensemble, is now on display in Building 7 on the Triolet campus.
Follow the creation process step by step with this time-lapse video by Lune Jezequel, who is also a civic service volunteer in the UM’s Arts and Culture Department.
Verbal Self-Defense Workshop and Roundtable Discussion
This month’s focus on equality at the University of Montpellier also featured a virtual roundtable discussion that brought together some thirty people around a practical, concrete project: collaborating to design an informational resource for victims of sexual or gender-based violence. Nadia was one of the participants in this roundtable. She says she feels deeply connected to this issue, which “resonates with my personal story.” “I myself have benefited from the support of UM’s services, where I found a listening ear, comfort, and kindness. It’s a blessing, when you’re going through difficult times—both personally and professionally—to work in an environment that supports you.”
“Every situation is unique, but we hope that this information resource—to which many university departments (DVC, DAGI, DRH, SCMPPS, etc.) will contribute—will enable victims, who are often under a great deal of stress, to have all the necessary information at their disposal,” adds Agnès Fichard-Carroll, Vice President for Social Responsibility.
The verbal self-defense workshops, meanwhile, drew about a hundred participants from among the university’s students and staff. Florence is a regular at these training sessions and workshops. While she doesn’t feel she’s struggling herself, she knows that life sometimes throws up challenges and is always looking for tools she can use in her professional and personal life. First aid, nonviolent communication, or managing difficult situations—“this one was a little different; the goal wasn’t to avoid conflict but to learn how to confront it so you can say ‘no,’ ‘stop,’ or ‘this situation isn’t right for me.’”
Homophobia, sexism, racism, and discrimination against people with disabilities—during these workshops, the participants were able to explore the appropriate response to take when experiencing or witnessing such situations. “All the examples the facilitator used had actually happened, and almost all of them could apply to both men and women. It was both fun and interesting because we all had quite different ways of reacting.” However, she felt the experience was a bit too short and would gladly do it again—“and why not try to get some men to join us?” she asks.
Fighting Stereotypes with Hogar
A different kind of workshop, a different way to express oneself: art. Between February1 and March 9, UM students and staff had the opportunity to benefit from the talent and expertise of visual artist Hogar. Two online workshops were held, during which participants were introduced to graphic arts. Paper, glue, scissors, markers, and a deft touch gave rise to ten original works created around the theme “Breaking Free from Clichés.”
Finally, over a hundred people logged on to watch—just like at the movies—Sébastien Lifshitz’s latest film, *Adolescentes*, which won three César Awards in 2021, including Best Documentary. See you next year for another edition of your “Donner des elles à l’UM” event…in person this time.