“Women are women and men are men. And together we can do great things, we just have to work together.” Marta Kos, the president of the Association SHE KNOWS – ONA VE.
“On-Ve-event-on-March-6th-2024-Marta-Kos-Ona Ve”
photo: Mateja Jordovič Potočnik
On March 6th 2024, at the Grand Plaza hotel in Ljubljana, as a part of marking of the International women’s day, DC Slovenia had the honor and pleasure to attend a very well organized and interesting event by ONA VE organisation that had an intriguing title: ON VE – He knows!
Photo DC Slovenia
Why was HE speaking at the SHE KNOWS event?
In the Association ONA VE , that connects professionals and promotes knowledge, they believe that without cooperation there will be no visible and necessary changes. Marta Kos , the president of the Association SHE KNOWS/ONA VE , explained in the introduction why ONA VE only gave the word to men this time.
“Let’s convey one thing above all: women are women and men are men. And together we can do great things, we just have to work together. Unnatural order, where the priority is always men, equality on paper, preservation of patriarchal patterns – men often don’t even know it. But when they see the numbers – just 20 percent for women interlocutors, award recipients, honorees, men immediately want us to make a move for the better.”
Introductory on the event was made by dr. Filip Ogris-Martič, business partner in Maierhofer/Austria company, who gave an inspiring insight into the historical and philosophical days of relations between sexes.
The keynote speaker Andraž Kos, psychology student, activist, volunteer and football referee, impressed the audience with a practical insight into the brains and thoughts of the young generation, young men. And he also brought with him to the event a large group of young people. Marta Kos addressed these young in the audience with the words: “Young people are not the future. They are the present.”
The central part of the event was a round table moderated by Marta Kos, the president of ONA VE and co-moderated by the vice president of ONA VE Mateja Malnar Stembal.
Rounds of questions with a gender spark were answered by: Slavko Jerič, journalist, mathematician and psychologist, Aljoša Harlamov, slavist, literary critic and editor-in-chief of Cankarjeva založba,
Mateja Malnar Stembal also asked the participants of the round table some intriguing and rather funny questions that women get all the time when being interviewed e.g. men at the round table were asked about their physical appearance, looks, how they combine their career and family responsibilities and other different stereotypes. Quite a few raised eyebrows were raised saying that the questions might have been a bit inappropriate but all agreed that people do not see them as inappropriate when women get these type of questions. Alongside with answers from their fields of work, life lessons and experiences, the round table guests also shared some advices for women that can be summarized into one thought: “Women, don’t worry so much. Be strong!Come together and support each other and do not obstruct each other. And move forward with confidence. And if you need anything – we, men, can give you support. “
The aim of ONA VE event was to break the prejudices about non-cooperation of men and women and it showed that – as ONA VE predicted in the event title – HE KNOWS.
Gender prejudices are “shattered”, new bridges are built and men and women can and are willing to cooperate and to improve the current gender situation in Slovenia together.
During the event a special attention was given to the book “Pozabljena polovica”/”Forgotten half” published by ONA VE Association who thinks that this book should be read in every Slovenian home. It contains 129 biographies of amazing Slovenian women in the 19th and 20th century. ONA VE reminded that short presentations of this book can be read every Friday on the ONA VE social media.
The publishing of this book would not be possible without Loterija Slovenije and the President of the management Romana Girandon and the help of Tanja Tuma, general secretary of international PEN.
