Interdisciplinary Seminar:
Education for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
Convener: Kathy Mumford, Australia

The Women’s Museum Proposal
Patricia Galeana, Mexican Federation of University Women

In a society where domestic violence affects two out of every three families, the task of preventing violence by fostering respect for the fundamental rights of the individual becomes a top priority. Within the context of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, the Mexican Federation of University Women is proposing the creation of the National Women’s Museum, which will serve as a cultural center that will foster, disseminate and support human rights. The main objective is to create the Women’s Museum as an interactive dissemination center that will contribute to the proper assessment and understanding of women’s role in our country from a historical perspective. Our aim is to foster tolerance and respect for human diversity and the rights of all individuals. The Museum will have areas for carrying out multidisciplinary activities for the promotion of a culture in which human rights are upheld.

Education is the key to effectively produce a change in the discriminatory patterns against women and to help promote human rights. Therefore museums of this kind, which exist in other countries such as the United States and Vietnam, can prove to be a positive experience and help us in our struggle towards an egalitarian society.

Patricia Galeana , Founding President of the Mexican Federation of Women College Graduates, has a B.A. in History from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has specialized in Mexican History and taught at the Schools of Arts and Philosophy and of Political Science at the National University and has held several important archival positions, such as Director General of the Historic and Diplomatic Archives at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.