12 March 2011
BEIRUT: Lebanese pupils aged between 8 and 10 were invited Friday to enter a European Union drawing competition with a top prize of 1,000 euros ($1,380).
Launched in honor of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, the competition asks students to portray “gender equality” as seen through their eyes in a bid to raise awareness of the pressing issue, designated as a developmental priority for the EU.
Two winning entries, set to receive the monetary prize, will be selected from the Middle East region while an additional three winners from Lebanon will also be selected by a jury of European children.
Ten Lebanese finalists will be selected by the European Commission in Lebanon and sent to Brussels for the final selection.
The top international entries from across the world will be collected and printed together in a book.
“This year’s theme proposes to reflect on how girls and boys, women and men, together can make the world a better place,” the EU said in a statement.
The international drawing competition on “gender equality” has been carried out by the European Commission since 2007 and is now entering its fifth year in Lebanon.
“The objective of the competition is to call on children aged between 8 and 10 years to express in drawing their vision of gender equality, in the perspective of our world’s challenge,” the EU said. “Most importantly, the competition has been able to mobilize and raise the awareness of both children and adults around the issue.”
The project runs in cooperation with the Education Ministry which will provide information to all Lebanese schools.
Almost 50,000 children from 61 countries participated in the competition in 2010. The 2011 application deadline has been set for March 20. – The Daily Star
Copyright The Daily Star 2011.
