Drawing Visibility: Celebrating Women Through Live Scribing
UN Women’s International Women’s Day Event at the Greek Campus, Cairo
In March 2018, I partnered with UN Women to bring a bold visual dimension to their International Women’s Day celebration at the Greek Campus in Cairo. The event was part of the Her Story campaign, a global initiative aimed at enriching Arabic Wikipedia with articles about women, gender, and equality in the region.
Amplifying Women’s Voices, One Drawing at a Time
Throughout the day, I live-scribed key insights, data, and personal stories shared by speakers and participants—focusing on topics like gender roles, representation in media, access to knowledge, and social stereotypes. The visuals featured strong feminine imagery, including an illustrated tribute to the iconic “We Can Do It” figure, connecting the global fight for gender equity with our local context.
Each wall-sized piece turned into a conversation starter, attracting attention, sparking dialogue, and helping participants reflect on the importance of visibility in public knowledge spaces like Wikipedia.
WikiGap and the Power of Participation
One of the central themes of the event was the WikiGap Editathon, an interactive workshop where attendees contributed new Arabic content to Wikipedia, specifically about notable women in science, history, and activism. As participants typed, researched, and translated, I mirrored the movement on the wall—drawing scenes of empowerment and inclusion.
The goal was to make the work not just memorable, but seen and celebrated in real-time.
What Made This Special
This was more than a graphic facilitation job — it was a chance to support a global movement for equality by elevating the stories of underrepresented women. The visual language I used helped unify spoken ideas with artistic storytelling, creating a space where both knowledge and imagination could thrive.
The work combined:
Live illustration with cultural relevance
Multilingual text and symbolism
Fast-paced synthesis of spoken content
Feminist visual cues to amplify the message
