Brussels exhibition explores the faces of womanhood in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine
A series of portraits arranged in striking triangular compositions now line the Mont des Arts in Brussels, until 14 June, inviting visitors to pause and reflect on the many dimensions of womanhood. Opened on 8 May in connection with Europe Day, the ‘Many Faces of Womanhood’ exhibition – organised by the ‘EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence’ programme – brought together more than 70 guests for a dialogue on the challenges and resilience captured through the art of documentary photography.
“Through my photos, I wanted to convey women’s multifaceted nature and, at the same time, their strength. That is why you see these triangles, into which the photos of each character are grouped – they symbolise the different facets of her personality. It’s about dignity, inspiration, and the challenges,” said Olga Ivaschenko, Ukrainian documentary photographer and author of the exhibition.
The exhibition brings together intimate portraits and personal stories of women navigating different realities. Through layered compositions and symbolic visual elements, the photographs encourage visitors to look beyond gender stereotypes and engage with the complexity, resilience and individuality of each woman featured.
“These portraits introduce us to entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, community leaders, mothers and public servants – each with their own struggles and triumphs. Their stories unfold against challenging realities, yet each one rewrites the rules, defies gender stereotypes and reshapes the role women play in our societies,” said Adrienn Király, Director for Neighbourhood East and Türkiye within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), who opened the exhibition.
Across Europe and Central Asia – as across the globe – women continue to face gender stereotypes and pressure to conform to narrow social expectations about how they should look, behave, lead, care or succeed. Women in the region still perform 3.4 times more unpaid care work than men, while around 3.9 million young women are not in education, employment or training – equivalent to one in every four young women. Violence against women also remains widespread, with around one in four women experiencing intimate partner violence. Against this backdrop, the exhibition seeks to challenge narrow perceptions and social expectations by presenting women in all their complexity, resilience and individuality.
“‘The Many Faces of Womanhood’ is a visual storytelling experience. It features 12 women from four countries, presented through 36 portraits, each accompanied by short narratives. It invites us to listen, reflect and connect about the diversity of roles that women play in society,” UN Women Europe and Central Asia Deputy Regional Director Elisa Fernandez Saenz said at the opening ceremony.
Among the women featured in the exhibition is award-winning documentary filmmaker, human rights advocate, veteran and mother Alisa Kovalenko, whose story reflects resilience in times of war.
“The many roles, many faces we carry within ourselves, which can often seem paradoxical, even incompatible. It is striking how many roles we combine in our country in times of war – so normal, and yet so extreme in their contrast,” said Alisa Kovalenko.
“In times like these – marked by uncertainty, conflict and growing polarization – initiatives like this are particularly important. Because they remind us that change is possible. They give us hope. The women in the exhibition are breaking the mould, leading the way in shifting public perception of what a woman should be or do,” said Birgit Van Hout, Chief of the UNFPA Representation Office to the European Union.
Guests moved between portraits and testimonies, engaging in conversations about the power of visibility and the importance of creating platforms where women’s stories can be seen and heard.
“At UN Women, we believe that gender equality is ultimately about people – their lives, their choices, and their opportunities. The stories presented in the exhibition show how gender norms shape everyday realities – and how women, in different contexts, are actively challenging and transforming these norms,” said Laurence Gillois, Deputy Director of the UN Women Brussels Liaison Office.
The exhibition will remain open to the public at Mont des Arts until 14 June, continuing to offer visitors a space to engage with stories of resilience, humanity and transformation.
The ‘Many Faces of Womanhood’ exhibition is produced in the framework of the ‘EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence’ programme (phase 2), funded by the European Union, and implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA.
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