Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed by a partner or family member in 2024. Two hundred and thirty million girls are subjected to the horrific practice of female genital mutilation. Unjustifiable and unmotivated wage gaps and 120 million women are denied access to education. These are the numbers that depict the state of half of the world’s population on the eve of International Women’s Day. UN Women Italy, the national committee of the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, presented these figures at the latest ANSA Forum. The committee officially debuted on October 4, 2024, at the G7 Gender Equality Forum in Matera.
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Agenzia ANSAOne woman killed every 10 minutes by a partner or relative in the world – News – Ansa.it
Data presented by UN Women Italy at the ANSA Forum (ANSA)
Italy is not exempt from this scenario: 114 femicides were committed just last year, 18.8% of women report experiencing violence, 92,600 victims of mutilation (including 8,200 minors), and a female employment rate (53.5%) among the lowest in Europe. “Gender equality has not been achieved in any country in the world. This means that half of the world’s population does not enjoy the same rights as the other half. A collective effort is needed to impact the status quo. We need to work on culture, youth, and especially men, as much depends on their willingness,” explains Darya Majidi, entrepreneur and president of UN Women Italy, with a series of initiatives and a campaign, March Forward, starting on March 8.
“Today more than ever – adds vice president Caterina Tonini – it is important to discuss these issues and participate in initiatives, starting from the business world.” But that’s not all. Words are important, as we often say. So is the world we depict. “Children’s literature is the most political because from an early age, the way children imagine the roles they will play becomes our future,” says Francesca Cavallo, author of the bestseller “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls,” which sold 8 million copies worldwide. In Italy, for her latest book “Space Stories for Future Men,” she had to resort to self-publishing.
“I wanted to be a man, even as a child,” confesses Lidia Ravera, a voice for women and feminism in Italy, who recently published her book I Wanted to Be a Man (ed. Einaudi). “In the 70s, during the ‘second wave’ of feminism, it was said ‘woman is beautiful.’ I don’t know how many of us truly believed that. I wasn’t one of them, even though I didn’t dare say it.”
On March 8, Frida, the ANSA podcast that tells and denounces the obstacles faced by women, celebrates its first anniversary with a new episode about sexist judgments. “It has been an important year for us,” says director Luigi Contu, along with culture and entertainment editor Elisabetta Stefanelli. “The Agency adheres to all codes of conduct on gender equality and has also launched a new thematic channel, Women, on ANSA.it.”
The news headlines this year also paint a picture: the word “women” was used 100,000 times, “femicide” 2,912 times, “violence against women” 7,637 times, and “violence against woman” 4,430 times. Just like words, films are important too. Paola Cortellesi’s “There’s Still Tomorrow” continues to inspire hope with its endless success, being released on March 8 in China, Switzerland, and the USA, symbolizing the global fight for women’s rights. “We are a few steps back. It’s not pleasant to know,” she says, “but shedding light on it is essential to build a fairer future for everyone.”
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