emirates7 - Following recent meetings with publishers in Bogota and Buenos Aires, IPA President Bodour Al Qasimi, continued her Latin America engagements with a visit to São Paulo where she participated in a day-long event marking the launch of the Brazilian edition of PublisHer.

PublisHer is a platform designed to foster greater gender diversity, solidarity and equality of opportunity in the country’s publishing sector.

Building on the success of the initiative worldwide, PublisHer was launched in Brazil to empower female publishers to be part of a larger community, to inspire new ideas, partnerships, and initiatives addressing diversity and inclusion in the industry.

In a fireside chat held during the launch, the IPA President stated that the network would help address the many gender-based inequities and inclusion challenges, including career mobility and the gender pay gap.

Another key engagement was to meet with the region’s publishing stakeholders at the publisher’s conference, held before the São Paulo International Book Fair.

In her address at the 3rd Professional Journey, the IPA President hailed the spirit of collaboration in Brazil’s publishing industry.

She outlined how the InSPIRe programme came into being as an industry-wide catalyst for change which addresses significant challenges and opportunities induced by the pandemic. The IPA President called on publishers and booksellers to stand in solidarity, remain focused, and apply diverse skills to drive their success.

Al Qasimi also met with members of the three publishing associations in Brazil – CBL, SNEL and Abrelivros, to discuss how the IPA could support them. She stressed the importance of capitalising on the opportunities presented by having Brazilian Karine Pansa, as the incoming IPA president to enhance the visibility of Brazilian publishers globally.

Following these engagements, Bodour attended the São Paulo International Book Fair and participated in several meaningful discussions.

At a roundtable hosted at the book fair titled, "New Libraries, New Readers", Al Qasimi joined panellists from Colombia and Brazil in a dynamic exchange of ideas.

She shared the UAE’s experience of infusing a new vision and fresh strategy to develop the House of Wisdom into a modern gateway to knowledge, culture, and learning. The IPA President also touched upon the vital role of libraries in connecting communities, especially in developing countries and crisis environments.