“In 2008, women’s museums from around the world gathered in Merano, Italy. Now, 17 years later, and 13 years after the formal founding of the International Association of Women’s Museums (IAWM) in Alice Springs, Australia—we return to Merano: founding members and representatives from newly established museums across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

More than 125 years since the beginnings of the women’s rights movement, the women’s achievements, their creativity, courage, and resilience, still need to be fully integrated into the collective memory. Wherever our members are active, we are committed to ensuring that these stories are seen and valued. Through anti-discriminatory approaches and a focus on women’s cultures, histories, and artistic expressions—past and present—the image of society only becomes a complete picture.

Women’s and Gender Museums stand up for human rights and the dignity of all people. Our work is essential for education, empowerment, and building self-confidence across all genders. We provide tools to combat all forms of discrimination and ableism.

The topic of this year’s 7th General Assembly, featuring conferences and an exhibition, is: Feminist Strategies of Resistance in Women’s and Gender Museums. I look forward to enriching, inspiring discussions in which we support and encourage each other, especially our members who face repression and hardship.”