On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, reaffirmed Italy’s ongoing priority commitment to the protection and promotion of women’s rights in our country and around the world.
To celebrate this important day, Minister Tajani met today, 8 March, in Fabriano, the Community Papa Giovanni XXIII, coordinated by Don Aldo Bonaiuto, committed to combating forced prostitution by fighting to restore dignity to the many women exploited by criminal organisations and provide prompt assistance and accommodation to victims of trafficking and prostitution.
Since taking office, Minister Tajani has paid the utmost attention to the issues of gender equality, women’s emancipation and the fight against all forms of discrimination and violence against women. As a symbol of this action, upon his initiative, since 2024 red benches have been installed at the Foreign Ministry and Italian Embassies around the world, bearing witness to the empty place left in society by a woman victim of femicide.
Italy is also at the forefront in the United Nations and in all major international human rights organisations for the protection of women. Our country will take part in the works of the 69th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), which will start in New York on 10 March. The event will be a special opportunity to reaffirm the global commitment to gender equality.
Through its development cooperation activities, Italy is also supporting many initiatives aimed at strengthening gender equality and women’s empowerment and fostering the economic, financial and social inclusion of women, in line with the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, with specific projects in Africa and other partner countries. Furthermore, as part of the UN Women, Peace and Security Agenda, Italy promotes the role of women as agents of peace and development.
Finally, the commitment to the promotion of women’s fundamental freedoms and gender equality is a pillar of Italy’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council for the three-year period 2026-2028.
