Once again this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is joining the international mobilization campaign on the occasion of the day to eliminate violence against women. As stated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Antonio Tajani, “Italy must be at the forefront of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, particularly to prevent and combat all forms of discrimination and violence against women”.
This year, the topic will be brought to the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Fiuggi-Anagni. On November 25, during the ministerial meeting, a “red bench” will be inaugurated – in memory of women victims of violence and their lost lives – with the affixing of a commemorative plaque by the Foreign Ministers present at the Fiuggi Municipal Theater, whose facade will be illuminated in orange for the occasion.
The initiative confirms the attention that Italy, as G7 Presidency, wants to devote to the issue of preventing and combating violence against women and girls, particularly in numerous conflict situations, where sexual violence is also used as a weapon of war.
At the request of Minister Tajani, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and its foreign network are also joining, this year, the campaign “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!”, promoted by UN Women, which launches 16 days of initiatives alongside civil society. For the occasion, the Ministry will be colored orange on November 25th.
The elimination of violence against women and the support for women’s empowerment are confirmed as pillars of Italian foreign policy and development cooperation. This is evidenced by the numerous international campaigns, such as those for the eradication of female genital mutilation and early and forced marriages, in which Italy has always been at the forefront, and our commitment within the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Even in the context of the UN Agenda “Women, Peace and Security”, Italy, through a specific National Action Plan, is at the forefront among UN Member States, promoting initiatives aimed at endorsing the full participation of women in all prevention and conflict 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 boys aim, in this sense, to further intensify our commitment through specific initiatives ranging from women’s, maternal-child, sexual and reproductive health, to support for programs in favor of girls’ and women’s education.
At the request of Minister Tajani, the Ministry has dedicated the Farnesina scholarship program for young international talents ‘Invest Your Talent in Italy’ to the memory of Giulia Cecchettin – who was the victim of femicide on the eve of her engineering degree – combining advanced specialization paths in engineering, economics or architectural disciplines at Italian universities and training periods in companies in our country.