Sharjah24: Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, President of the International Publishers Association (IPA), has hailed the need for coordinated efforts to address challenges encountered by women professionals in publishing today and to offer viable solutions to strengthen women empowerment in the industry during her recent visit to the Latin American countries of Colombia and Argentina.
The IPA President met with María Juliana Ruiz Sandoval, First Lady, Republic of Colombia, at the "Casa de Nariño" in Bogotá, and discussed successful women's empowerment strategies implemented in the two countries. Bodour Al Qasimi also shared the most impactful initiatives of the Kalimat Foundation that are promoting diversity in the Arab publishing sector.
In her meetings with publishers and industry stakeholders during the visit, the IPA President reiterated the need to improve practices in the publishing industry and called for prioritising the empowerment and training of female publishers to build capacities, close skills gaps, and develop robust and inclusive business ecosystems
In Colombia, the IPA President met with Diana Escobar, VP of Sustainable Development at Ecopetrol Colombia, and officials of the Regional Center for the Promotion of Books in Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLALC), to discuss the scope for collaborations in the training of female publishers.
Bodour Al Qasimi also met with Her Excellency Angelica Mayolo, Colombian Minister of Culture, and explored opportunities for collaboration with IPA, especially in the field of diversity and inclusion, and thereby strengthen the presence and role of women in the industry.
In Argentina, the IPA President outlined strategies for empowering women in the publishing industry in a panel discussion with Ana Maria Cabanellas, President of Grupo Editorial Claridad, one of Argentina’s leading publishing houses.
During her meeting with member publishers of the Colombian Book Chamber, Bodour Al Qasimi discussed issues relating to sustainability and explored the challenges of paper shortages and its impact on the publishing sector. In her meeting with Argentinian publishers, the IPA President reiterated her support for the recovery and growth of publishing markets impacted by the global pandemic and urged publishers to take advantage of the upskilling and capacity-building opportunities offered under the IPA Academy, which is now live.
Bodour Al Qasimi also attended the opening ceremony of the Buenos Aires International Book Fair and toured the International Book Fair in Bogota during her visit to the two Latin American countries.
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