Also this year the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is taking part in the international mobilisation campaign to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, stated that “Italy must be at the forefront in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, in particular in preventing and combating all forms of discrimination and violence against women“.
This year, the theme will be taken up at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Fiuggi-Anagni. On November 25, during the ministerial meeting, a “red bench” – in memory of women victims of violence and their lost lives – will be inaugurated by the foreign ministers present at the Fiuggi Municipal Theatre, whose facade will be lit orange for the occasion.
This initiative confirms the importance that Italy, during its presidency of the G7, wanted to place on the issue of preventing and combating violence against women and girls, especially in the many conflict situations where sexual violence is also used as a weapon of war.
At the request of Minister Tajani, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and its Embassies and Consulates all across the globe are also joining the “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!” campaign, promoted by UN Women, which launches 16 days of initiatives with civil society. To mark the occasion, Ministry will be wearing orange on November 25.
The elimination of violence against women and support for women’s emancipation are among the pillars of Italian foreign policy and development cooperation. Evidence of this can be seen in the many international campaigns, such as those to eradicate female genital mutilation and early and forced marriage, in which Italy has always been at the forefront, and in its commitment to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Equally, in the framework of the UN’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda, Italy is at the forefront among UN Member States, through a specific National Action Plan, in promoting initiatives aimed at fostering women’s full participation in all conflict prevention and resolution activities, such as the Network of Women Mediators of the Mediterranean, launched by Italy in 2017.
The recent Italian Cooperation Guidelines on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, Girls and Children aim to further strengthen Italy’s commitment through specific initiatives ranging from women’s, maternal, sexual and reproductive health to support for girls’ and women’s education programmes.
At the request of Minister Tajani, the Ministry has dedicated the scholarship programme “Invest Your Talent in Italy” to the memory of Giulia Cecchettin, who was victim of feminicide on the eve of her graduation in engineering, which combines highly specialised courses in engineering, economics or architecture at Italian universities with training periods in Italian companies.