CICADA recently hosted a small gathering with cis and transwomen working in the arts, culture, and creative industries. It was a safe space to share experiences, reflect on challenges, and explore ways to make the sector more inclusive and supportive.

The conversation raised important barriers in the arts such as: discrimination and unequal treatment, limited opportunities, exploitation in creative work, and superficial inclusion. These challenges show the reality that many artists, especially cis and transwomen, continue to face in the creative industries. Yet, they also reflect the courage of artists who continue to speak up, share their stories, and push for change. It was a powerful reminder that talent has no gender and every artist deserves respect, recognition, and the chance to shine.

The conversation raised important barriers in the arts such as: discrimination and unequal treatment, limited opportunities, exploitation in creative work, and superficial inclusion. It was a powerful reminder that talent has no gender and every artist deserves respect, recognition, and the chance to shine.

We sincerely thank the participants for joining and sharing their voices. Their input will guide our advocacy efforts as we continue to thrive for meaningful development in the CCIs.

Although attendance was lower than expected, the meeting went well and created a connection for future action. CICADA had the opportunity to introduce our mission and work, report, and ‘My Rights’ pamphlet. We also introduced CICADA’s membership, with a lot of sharing from Serey on her benefits after joining CICADA.