The Gender, Ethnicity and Health Office of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) invites entries in its Painting and Drawing Competition 2009. The objective of this competition is to encourage the participation and creativity of artists of the Americas to reflect on PAHO actions incorporating considerations of gender and ethnicity.

The painting or drawing should depict one or more aspects of gender and cultural equity in health. This means the equality of men and women to the access, prevention, treatment, promotion, recovery, and contribution to health, including indigenous groups and populations of African descent in the Americas. Students, painters, and people (including United Nations staff) interested in art who come from the countries of the Americas are invited to participate in this competition, regardless of gender, age, religion, or ethnic group. The finalists’ work will be published as PAHO communication materials.

The judging criteria that will be applied in the competition are the following:

• Creativity and originality 
• Message and meaning
• Representation of its culture and values

Prizes are:

1st prize US$1,000 and certificate; 2nd prize US$600 and certificate; 3rd prize US$400 and certificate.

All of the works will become property of PAHO, which will subsequently have the right to disseminate them through various means, recognising the author. Works of art may be uploaded on the website, emailed to one of the addresses in the contact information, or mailed by post to the address in the contact information either as originals or in high resolution digital format on a CD.

Specific Requirements are the following:

• Each participant can submit one (1) work.
• Ink, crayons, watercolour, etc., can be used in drawings or paintings.
• The work cannot exceed 40 x 60 cm.
• Enclose a registration form.
• Each work should have a title.

 Click here for more information.

Email from Patricia García to The Communication Initiative on October 5 2009.