Russian Women Celebrate The Spirit of Wellness

by Melissa Zahniser & photo courtesy of Magee

"A Russian woman of the 21st century is one who will respect and love herself enough to be concerned with the over-all well-being of her body, mind and spirit," said Elena Myasnikova, editor-in-chief of Russian Cosmopolitan, summing up the spirit of the 1997 Womancare Wellness Festival held March 15-16 in Moscow, Russia. Organized by Magee Womancare International, the festival brought together nearly 2,000 women over the course of two days to share health ideas, learn exercise and fitness techniques, and grow both personally and professionally.

Over the past three years, Magee has partnered with various Russian and international organizations to sponsor community events for Russian women, with Moscow's first "Celebration of Women" held in 1994. The goal was to bring the nonprofit and business sectors together to recognize and support the changing needs of Russian women.

"We wanted to bring people from all walks of life together to celebrate women," explains Tanya Ozor, the director of Magee Womancare International. "As this event has evolved over the years, we and our partners have redefined the focus, putting women's health at the center of all the programs, and renamed the event the Womancare Wellness Festival. The Festival this year has a new look and emphasizes healthy living through all stages of a woman's life. We are delighted with the community response."

Attendance at the Festival more than doubled from last year's Magee-sponsored Moscow Celebration of Women, with media coverage from over 25 newspapers and magazines as well as Russian television.

The key event of the two-day festival was a series of educational workshops on topics ranging from family planning and baby care to nutrition and menopause. The seminars, led by Russian and American experts, provided practical information on preventative health issues and offered women the tools to integrate healthy lifestyle skills into their daily lives.

Participants browsing the international exhibit fair received free health screenings, including blood pressure, glucose, nutrition and body fat analysis. Nearly 30 Russian and international companies displayed their products and discussed topics including pharmaceuticals, aromatherapy, Eastern medicine, clothing for children and pregnant women, domestic violence, and AIDS. The exhibit fair gave consumers an opportunity to ask questions and sample new products on the market.

A popular new feature of this year's event was a practical self-defense session, which intrigued the audience by demonstrating how a small woman can defend herself from attack.

"I have never seen a demonstration like this," remarked a Moscow woman. "With the great increase in crime on the streets today women need to be more aware and take care of themselves when walking home from the metro or wherever. This demonstration really made me think about some practical steps I can take-like always having my keys in my hand instead of standing in our dark hallway searching in my purse."

The 1997 Womancare Wellness Festival built on Magee's tradition of celebrating women and emphasized the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle from adolescence to old age. One Muscovite, after participating in the nutrition and exercise seminar remarked, "Now I understand the important foundation which health provides in someone's life. Health is the source from which all other aspects of life follow: beauty, happiness, love and respect. Without good health a person has nothing."

Magee Womancare International is working with its Russian partners and supporters to continue this important event and will present the 1998 Moscow Womancare Wellness Festival next March.

Melissa Zahniser is a program coordinator at Magee Womancare International. This year's festival received corporate sponsorship from Avon Cosmetics, Johnson & Johnson, Pharmacia Upjohn and Passport International.

Magee Womancare International, 300 Halket Street, PO Box 144, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; phone: (412) 641-4016; fax: (412) 641- 4949; e-mail: mey@meyerim.bishkek.su