Chilean Mapuche artisans will teach how to weave the “Makün” in the Chilean pavilion. Delegation will be led by female leaders in science, art, and diplomacy, promoting international cooperation from a gender perspective.
Four of the Mapuche weavers who made the "Makün: The Mantle of Chile" will be featured for the first time in the Chilean pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025, as part of "Chile: Country of Women" week, which seeks to showcase Chile's commitment to gender equality and raise awareness of the stories, achievements, and contributions of Chilean women in all areas of national development.
They are Luisa Sandoval from the Wallontu Witral Association; Norma Millache from the Peumayen Artisans Committee; Claudia Silva from the Witraltu Mapu Cooperative; and Ana Paillamil from the Wallontu Witral Indigenous Association.
On Tuesday, September 2 (between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.), in a space open to the general public, the four artisans will share their experience in the craft and the collaborative work that led them to create the 242-square-meter mantle.
In addition, on the same day (at 3:00 p.m.) and on Thursday, September 4, at 11:00 a.m., there will be a workshop for the public attending Expo Osaka 2025, where they can learn about the weaving techniques of the Mapuche people (limited spaces available).
On Wednesday, September 3, between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., the traditional craft collection “Desde las raíces” (From the Roots), developed by Anita Paillamil and the Wallontu Witral collective, will be on display, featuring 12 pieces of traditional Mapuche textiles that are part of the “Carolina Herrera for Women in Arts” program.
Paulina Nazal, Commissioner of the Chilean Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025: "The ‘Chile: Country of Women’ week is an invitation to look at the country through the lens of its female talent, innovation, and leadership. From the Mapuche weavers who created the blanket that covers our pavilion, to scientists, talented young women in technology, entrepreneurs, and artists who are transforming their territories, this program seeks to project a diverse, creative image to the world that is deeply committed to gender equality."
The artisans will be accompanied by a distinguished delegation of Chilean women. They are Claudia Sanhueza, Undersecretary of International Economic Relations; María Teresa Saldías, director of the Imagen de Chile Foundation; and Carmen García, director of the Plagio Foundation. The delegation also includes Elisa Torres, STEM activist; Magda Yisel Parada, businesswoman from Tarapacá; and Claudia Maturana Bobadilla, Antarctic researcher.
Activities of “Chile: Country of Women”
One of the week's key events will take place on September 4, when the seminar “Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: Women’s Leadership and Gender Equity, Global Perspectives and the Chilean Experience" will be held at the Women's Pavilion at Expo Osaka between 12:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The keynote speaker will be the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Claudia Sanhueza, accompanied by a panel discussion featuring Kyoko Okutani from J -Win.
Registration form for the seminar here.
During the week's activities, the pavilion's screens will show the permanent audiovisual exhibition “Chile, Country of Women,” based on the campaign carried out by the Imagen de Chile Foundation.
There will also be:
• Participation of Emma Madariaga, cantora a lo divino and payadora (improvisational singer) with guitarrón, who will hold a musical encounter in the Chilean pavilion with three shamisen artists on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Madariaga will also perform at Pop Up West on Friday, September 5, and Saturday, September 6, at 5:00 p.m.
• Exhibition “Women's Art Gallery in the Chile Pavilion,” where the pavilions present at the Expo will be invited to share an artwork by a female artist in audiovisual format.
• Distribution to visitors of the informative booklet “Inspirational Women” in Japanese, developed by the Chilean Ministry of Science.
• There will also be a selection of 20 stories from “Santiago in 100 Words,” designed, translated into Japanese, and accompanied by a curatorial text.
• The pavilion will highlight specific actions promoted by various national initiatives, both in the public and private sectors, such as María La Biyoux.
• The pavilion's permanent bar will feature wines from vineyards led by women.
Facts about “Chile: Country of Women”
• Since 2023, Chile has been the first country in Latin America to adopt a Feminist Foreign Policy, which guides our international actions and alliances.
• In less than two decades, Chile rose from 78th to 22nd place in the Global Gender Gap Report, and today it ranks fourth in Latin America in terms of gender equality.
• The presence of women in Chilean government ministries places it sixth worldwide, and the growing participation of women in science, astronomy, mining, agriculture, energy, and the financial sector shows that Chile is expanding frontiers and breaking down stereotypes.
