On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) has brought together inspiring voices from across the Mediterranean to highlight how culture can advance gender equality.

Journalist and writer Kenizé Mourad, poet and translator Elizabeth Grech, comic book artist Nadia Hafid, cultural policy researcher Chaymaa Ramzy, youth worker Chiara Pumper, and singer Aseel Massoud reflect on the role of creativity, knowledge, and dialogue in shaping more inclusive and equitable societies.

Among the six women selected is Elizabeth Grech, poet and translator and responsible for Communications, Networking and International Relations at Mana Chuma Teatro.

Through their perspectives and experiences, these women remind us that culture is not only expression—it is also a tool for change. By amplifying women’s voices in the arts, research, and public debate, the initiative invites us to imagine a Mediterranean where culture helps build equality, dignity, and shared futures.

“As a woman working in culture and the arts for social innovation, and through my work with Mana Chuma Teatro in recent years — between Malta, France and Reggio Calabria — my Mediterranean experience has been shaped through encounters and shared challenges. As a poet, I see language as a living space where roots and invention meet, allowing differences to resonate rather than divide. Tradition does not enclose us: it nourishes creativity and keeps memory alive. Culture fosters empathy, humanity and a form of care I myself perceive as a feminine energy. The Mediterranean is not a frontier but a horizon we share. Fundamentally political, artistic creativity helps sustain the fragile fabric that binds our communities and gives meaning to our shared future.”

Elizabeth Grech
Poet and translator
Communications & International Relations, Mana Chuma Teatro
Contributor to the QM review