Hanoi (VNA)- An arts event portraying 26 people with the initiative, confidence and desireto defy gender norms has kicked off on the pedestrian zone around Hoan KiemLake.

Titled Cat Canh (Soaring), the event offers a new outlook on genderequality: its essence is allowing the utmost development of each person’spotential following their freedom of choice, overcoming gender differences aswell as barriers from both society and their own psyches.

Cat Canh is a collection of portraits and recollections by people who haveovercome prejudice to chase their dreams.

There, visitors can read inspiring stories of dreamers like Nguyen Ngoc Thinh,the winner of So You Think You Can Dance 2013 or Ma Van Hong, the manager of NongNgu Hoa De Cooperative in the southern province of Soc Trang.

Images of women will be the heart of the event, which will emphasise theirefforts and the necessity to support such efforts.

By putting the stories of two genders together, Cat Canh also aims tosay: there won’t be gender liberation until both sexes are freed fromprejudices and barriers.

The event also includes an area for the public to review their own dreams,efforts and direction for development of themselves. The participants canexpress by means of language, image or others about how they have beeninspired, about their inner thoughts and future intentions to live morepositively, equally and affectionately.

Cat Canh has been jointly organised by the Institute for Studies ofSociety, Economics and Environment (iSEE), Centre for Community Empowerment,Oxfarm International and WEQUAL, the organisation works on gender equality. Itruns until March 5.-VNA