As part of International Women’s Day, on 11 March the Embassy of Italy in Mongolia inaugurated the red bench in its premises, as a testimony to the empty place left in society by a woman victim of femicide. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the screenwriters of the movie There’s Still Tomorrow by Paola Cortellesi, namely Giulia Calenda and Furio Andreotti, together with the President of the Italy-Mongolia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, Hon. Undraa Agvaanluvsan. During the inauguration ceremony, Hon. Undraa recalled her country’s commitment in the fight against gender violence and for equal opportunities. The Italian Ambassador, Giovanna Piccarreta, recalled the recent measures on femicide and the results of the Italian G7 Presidency on women’s empowerment and the fight against gender-based violence.
On 10 March the Embassy in Ulaanbaatar also organised a round table discussion at the Chinggis Khaan Museum Auditorium, entitled “Empowerment through Time: The Road to Gender Equality”. The discussion was followed by a screening of the movie There’s Still Tomorrow’ by Paola Cortellesi, with the participation of screenwriters Giulia Calenda and Furio Andreotti.
The event was opened by greetings from the Italian Ambassador, Giovanna Piccarreta, and a presentation by the Head of the Secretariat of Mongolia’s National Committee for Gender Equality, Ms. Enkhbayar Tumur-Ulzii. The discussion, moderated by Prof. Begz Ankhbayar, included authoritative speakers such as the Director of the Asian Development Bank in Mongolia Ms. Shannon Cowlin; the UNDP Representative in Ulaanbaatar, Ms. Matilda Dimovska; and the Head of the UNFPA Office, Mr. Khalid Sharifi. Hon. Undraa Agvaanluvsan, President of the Mongolia-Italy Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, closed the event, stressing the importance of continuing to work for gender equality on all fronts.
The screening of the movie There’s Still Tomorrow was followed by a lively question and answer session with the scriptwriters, who provided insights into the movie’s themes.
