17.03.2025
On March 12, 2025, Moscow State Linguistic University hosted the international seminar “International Women’s Day — For All Women: Rights, Equality, Empowerment”, organized in cooperation with the United Nations Information Centre in Moscow. The event marked International Women’s Day and highlighted MSLU’s strong commitment to supporting women across academic, scientific, and leadership roles.
At MSLU, women occupy the majority of faculty and administrative positions, including vice-rectors, deans, department heads, and members of the Academic Council. The university continues to support both established female professionals and young women at the beginning of their careers in science and education.
The seminar featured keynote speeches by several distinguished guests. H.E. Krystyna Marty Lang, Ambassador of Switzerland to Russia, highlighted the essential contributions of women worldwide and the importance of protecting their rights. H.E. Cecilia Piccioni, Ambassador of Italy, spoke about the challenges women face in balancing professional ambitions with personal aspirations, emphasizing the role of education in building a more respectful and equitable society. H.E. Alba Azucena Torres Mejía, Ambassador of Nicaragua, shared her country’s progress in advancing gender equality and empowering women across sectors.
The seminar also included speakers from key UN agencies working in Russia, such as: the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Voices from international women’s advocacy groups, including Women’s Dialogue and the Russian-Austrian civil society forum “Sochi Dialogue”, added further depth to the conversation.
MSLU’s First Vice-Rector Larisa Petruchak spoke about the university’s strong female leadership, while Vice-Rector for Research Olga Iriskhanova addressed the growing impact of women in academic science — both globally and within MSLU.
The event concluded with the opening of the exhibition “Pink. Women in Italian Graphic Design: From the Origins to the Present”, presented by the Embassy of Italy. Ambassador Piccioni introduced the exhibition and reflected on the creative contributions of women in the visual arts industry.
In her closing remarks, MSLU Rector Irina Kraeva thanked participants for their thought-provoking insights and proposed that the event become an annual tradition. She also suggested a student-led conference in the future — giving MSLU’s predominantly female student body a platform to speak about gender equality, rights, and empowerment in their own voices.
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