StIt’s the audacious voices of women to resound at the Teatro Manzoni in Milan in the evening organized by pomellato in favour of CADMI – Home for Abused Women in Milan. Women who have made themselves heard through their vision and work represent a new, energetic wave of activism. An evening organized on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), during which the debate moderated by Danda Santini, director of iO Donna e Amica addressed the issues of Women, audacity, freedom.
This is the slogan of the evening, freely inspired by the one marked by Iranian women engaged in a struggle that belongs to everyone, why still today one in three women experience violence once in their life. In Italy every 72 hours a woman is killed and 80% of femicides are committed by a family member, partner or former partner or known person. In the world every day 173 women are killed and 90% of suspects are men.
The importance of women’s self-determination in defending their freedom cannot be stressed enough. Choosing to react boldly, reprogramming yourself to go beyond the imposed and self-imposed limitsis an attitude especially of the new generations that CADMI, based on its experience, has “registered” also in Italy.
«Women, Audacity, Freedom»: the debate
The evening opened with the testimony of a true story of violence, brought on stage by Kasia Smutniak. Then the debate began, during which Farian Sabahi, writer and lecturer specializing in the history of contemporary Iran, she took stock of the condition of women in her country, on the meaning of the veil, on the audacity of the new generations who no longer want to wear it. «The audacity comes from the transformation of women in Iranian society. Today girls have a much higher university education rate, 2 out of 3 freshmen are women, who then look for work and they are women who also put men in difficulty, so much so that in Iran there are blue quotas. Education means more awareness and therefore the ability to claim one’s rights. During the demonstrations, Iranian men stood up for women’s rights alongside them for the first time. There are many women in the streets in Iran today who claim the free choice of the veil, especially to protect the new generations”.
Lucia Annibali, former parliamentarian and lawyer, who has long been involved in the field of gender-based violence, he told of his personal story, of the courage to make it. «In those long dark months, the audacity came from my willpower, from hope, from my attachment to life and family affections. Boldness is also sometimes madness, unawareness, recklessness. I brought to Parliament a new way of narrating violence on an institutional level and I am particularly proud of having proposed the measure of the ‘freedom income’, an economic support for women who suffer violence and decide to get out of it”.
In dialogue with Lilia Giugnifeminist activist, researcher at the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol and co-founder of the think tank GenPol – Gender & Policy Insights – emerged as the #metoo has changed the narrative of the new generations and what are the digital dangers to which these are exposed today. “Unfortunately, the line between digital and physical violence is much more blurred than one thinks. Gender-based violence manifests itself in many interconnected ways and the same platforms facilitate the circulation of materials considered controversial. There are those who have paid a steep price for the advent of digital technology, and they are women in the vast majority of cases. In the tech arena, many women are exploited and abused because of their gender».
Kasia Smutniakactress, international film star, committed to the front line for women and minorities mentioned her commitment alongside Polish women and in favor of education with the school she founded in Nepal, spoke on trust and listening, words pivotal in supporting women who have suffered violence.
Kasia Smutniak at the event «Pomellato: Women, Audacity, Freedom». (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for Pomellato)
The evening continued with the interventions Sabina Belli who has always fought in favor of female empowerment and Céline Bonnaire, executive director of the Kering Foundationwho explained their commitment to projects for job placement and professional development of women survivors of domestic violence. «The Kering Foundation has been supporting women victims of violence for 15 years, it is a strong commitment that really demonstrates the audacity of our group. We support local associations such as CADMI in Italy, in particular we try to involve young women and young boys and other private realities in the fight against violence».
Alessia Cappellofinally, councilor for economic development and labor policies for the Municipality of Milan, spoke of the city’s commitment to women. “We have signed the Milan Employment Pact which contains specific actions aimed at the female context both in terms of female empowerment and in favor of women who have suffered violence, for example the opening of job desks within women’s centers of the Municipality. In fact, economic independence is one of the factors that makes women more free to report. Furthermore, we have created a mentoring project for daring young women: it takes place in the possibility of being supported by female managers in a discussion that is very useful for personal and professional growth”.
Manuela Ulivicivil lawyer and president of CADMI, said: «CADMI’s projects are many and fundamental and they are those that arise from the relationship between women. Women who recognize each other, help each other, support each other. We dream that all women in the future have access to work. We cannot have half of Italy which is under 50% of working women and tolerate that motherhood could jeopardize the workplace”. Finally, Manuela Ulivi invited the women who work with her behind the scenes of CADMI to the stage, who on average welcome 500 women a year with competence, passion and the ability to listen. The houses of hospitality from one in 1990 have now become 10 and host up to 30 women a year.
The night ended with another bold entry, that of Noemi, who joined the choir giving over 700 guests her art, music. «I love this phrase from Goethe very much: “Whatever you dream of undertaking, begin it. Audacity has genius, power, magic”. I really like the idea of celebrating the courage of women who are having the strength to break the mold and the audacity of those who turn to anti-violence centers every day, fighting for their freedom”.
CADMI has created a crowdfunding web page for the occasion THE NETWORK OF THE GIFT.
Pomellato for Women
«Audacity is a strength that we can develop within us, which pushes us towards difficult or dangerous, or even heroic, undertakings to defend and affirm essential values, such as freedom or dignity. Denouncing physical, verbal, psychological, economic violence requires such strength. Pomellato’s support for women is expressed through #PomellatoForWomen, the platform that gives voice to the issues of sisterhood, gender equality, inclusiveness and is achieved through our commitment to CADMI. I hope that all generations of women who experience gender-based violence firsthand will have the audacity to break the silence, to seek the support of those who can listen and protect them”. said Sabina Belli, CEO of the Pomellato Group.
Also this year, the awareness video will be unveiled on November 25th pomellato for women which will also be published here on the iO Donna website and which she wants to pose once again attention to the importance of trust and listeningkey words in support of women who have suffered violence, with the voices of Eye Haïdara, Kasia SmutniakXenia Tchoumi Drusilla FoerSibel Kekilli, Sabina Belli, Alessandro Gasmann and Nicolas Mauri.
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