VIENNA, 7 April 2025 - The documentary “She Rises Up", directed by Maureen Castle Tusty, chronicles the remarkable journeys of three women who are helping to lift their communities out of poverty through the local businesses they fight the odds to maintain. Gladys Yupanqui of Peru founded a mini-market and is looking to expand. Magatte Wade of Senegal is building a cosmetics manufacturing company. Selyna Peiris of Sri Lanka is expanding the textile company founded by her mother.
The screening was followed by a panel discussion with experts, moderated by Sonja Wintersberger, Officer-in-Charge of UNIS Vienna.
Barbara Alli, CEO & founder of “Hand Made Story” and performing artist, spoke about the importance of women working together in business. She highlighted the need to erase the mindset of jealousy and the necessity of knowing “where we are, where we need to be and how we can get there together”.
The importance of companies implementing gender responsive procurement mechanisms was underscored by Lynn Neubert, Manager Human Rights, Labour & Gender Equality at the UN Global Compact Network Austria: “Companies must look at their value chain to identify the risks they might have for the lives of women and girls.”
Emphasis on the role of mentoring was highlighted by Virpi Stucki, Chief of the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade at UNIDO. She spoke about the work of UNIDO in Ethiopia, where the organization has trained women in traditionally male-dominated industries. “There were no role models until we trained the first female technicians, operators and mechanics, who have now become closer to rock stars in their regions.”
