“Femicide” must be fought with commitment on all sides, not just political. The point was underscored by Foreign Minister Emma Bonino, speaking at the presentation of the foreign tour of Ferite a morte, Serena Dandini’s theatre project. The show will be staged in New York on 25 November 2013 at the invitation of the Italian representation to the United Nations, to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It will then tour to Washington, Brussels and London, as evidence of Italy’s international mobilisation against a horrific phenomenon.
A scourge that concerns human beings
Minister Bonino stressed that this scourge cannot be fought purely at government and parliament level. “It concerns human beings, so we need to see a universal commitment: of civil society, and intellectual and cultural communities”. TheFerite a morte project helps to support political initiatives to combat violence against women.
Joint support by government and civil society can yield extraordinary fruits
Written by Dandini with the collaboration of Maura Misiti, Ferite a morte“is, in my view, one of many examples of ‘Italian excellence’”, declared Minister Bonino. She added that she was glad the diplomatic network had embraced and supported the project. “I’m convinced that joint support by government and civil society can yield extraordinary fruits”, commented the Foreign Minister, adding “I also hope to see a great commitment in the new campaign against the forced marriage of young girls”.
“Silence and solitude are the most dramatic elements in the battle against violence”, commented Serena Dandini. She explained that she had been prompted by sheer indignation to create her theatre project. “All the talk, data and facts were failing to capture people’s attention.So I decided to try with the theatre, to get first to their hearts and then to their heads”. Many women have joined her in this endeavour, starting with those who will appear on stage in the forthcoming international tour. Women like Valeria Golino,Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Rosy Canale (the Calabrian businesswoman who rebelled against the ‘ndrangheta, the region’s organised crime “clan”), and Sima Samar, the Afghan activist and spokesperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
