On the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, co-chaired the high-level meeting in the UN General Assembly to commemorate the Day. On the evening, gave his welcoming remarks, followed by UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the event organized by Italy “Street Art is Female”, to promote on the occasion of the anniversary the eponymous exhibit currently on display at the United Nations. The exhibit, organized by Alessandra Mattanza and Augusto Ferretti with the endorsement of Italys’ Permanent Missionto the UN, brings together the works of artists from all over the world, from Asia to Africa and Latin America as well as Europe, and who have broken the glass ceiling by affirming themselves in a male-dominated world such as that of “street art”. The artworks on display call for female empowerment, denounce gender violence and highlight the dreams, aspirations and battles of women in different contexts around the world. Both Italy’s statement at the General Assembly and the speech at the evening event underscored Italy’s long-standing commitment alongside UNFPA and Unicef in the fight against harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and early and forced marriages. Also Italy’s firm support to the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda, Italy’s action in the context of the G7 presidency, as well as through national measures to support victims of violence such as the Income of Freedom and the Microcredit of Freedom, were highlighted.
“Women’s lives and health cannot be held hostage by political agendas. Of all the victims around the world, 55% of women are killed at the hands of an intimate partner or family member. This is appalling, unacceptable and has no excuse. Today is therefore not just a day of reflection but of action. It is a day to raise our voices for women who have been silenced by fear and trauma, who suffer in isolation, and for those who fight for their right to live free from violence. We will only achieve gender equality and fulfill the UN Agenda 2030 if we succeed in eradicating violence from our world. Only in this way will we be able to call ourselves “civilization”, commented Ambassador Massari.
The evening was enriched by the testimonies of some of the artists whose work is part of the exhibit: Aiko, Alice Mizrachi, Erin Yoshi, Claudia Hart and Danielle Mastrion. Highlights of the night were the two dance performances executed by Analia Farfan (founder of the International American Ballet) and by the Italian dancer Elias Re, created in collaboration with the Grammy award winner Ivan Linn. One of the two performances, in particular, was dedicated to the memory of Mahsa Amini, who died in Iran after being arrested for wearing the veil the “wrong” way. The exhibit alsso features some artwork created with digital technologies, with one employing artificial intelligence and endorsed by NASA – Virtual Institute for Research and Exploration of Solar Systems (NASA-SSERVI).
We thank our sponsors: Angelina Bakery; Vini La Scolca; L’Angeletto Restaurant;
