The Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, took the floor today during the annual discussion on the human rights of women on the issue of “Gender-based violence against women and girls in public and political life”, in the framework of the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council.
Italy firstly confirmed its commitment to achieving the safety, and the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in all their diversity in all spheres of society, including in public and political life, as recently reaffirmed at the G7 Ministerial Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
“We are committed to fight the backlash against gender equality, to eliminate gender stereotypes and structural barriers, to address sexual and gender-based violence, and to prevent multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by women and girls”, Ambassador Grassi stated. He also highlighted that participation is one of the pillars of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and reiterated Italy’s support for the implementation of the Security Council’s Resolution 1325, in order to promote women’s participation and leadership in crisis management, conflict prevention and resolution, and peacebuilding.
Zero tolerance for gender-based violence, offline and online, was also mentioned as essential for women and girls’ participation in political and public life, in particular for women journalists, human rights defenders and politicians. Recognizing that women and girls must be leaders of the economic and social development of their communities, Italy remembered that, at national level, a “Gender Parity Certification System” has been introduced to strengthen a strategic approach to reduce gender gaps and support an overall transformation of corporate culture. Furthermore, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will allocate funds to promoting educational paths in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines and enhancing digital education to further empower women and girls.
