ROME (ITALPRESS) – To counter violence against women and work for gender equality in a fair and inclusive society, capable of prevention to counter all forms of gender-based violence, in which each person can realize herself in awareness, freedom and fullness by keeping Giulia Cecchettin’s memory alive by spreading her message of love, joy and hope, remembering her determination, courage, selfless spirit and passion for life. These are the goals of the “Giulia Cecchettin ETS Foundation,” the birth of which was sanctioned on Oct. 29 in Padua with the signing of the deed of incorporation by the founders: her father Gino, sister Elena and brother Davide, and presented this morning at the Chamber of Deputies. “This Foundation was born out of a huge tragedy. As life often works, when all seems lost, when you face such suffering, life still surprises you by offering a new purpose to transform darkness into action, loss into commitment, a purpose that has found roots in the memory of Giulia,” says Gino Cecchettin. “I went through death in its deepest essence,” he says, “first with the loss of my wife and then with the loss of Giulia, I felt disbelief but I understood that life is a breath and that it cannot be wasted, I learned to my cost the value of time. While we are here thousands of women around the world are living in fear and being abused, since Giulia passed away 120 women have been killed in Italy alone, unimaginable numbers, we can no longer afford to be indifferent. In this last year I have received heartbreaking messages of fear,” he continued, “in front of certain realities how can we be impassive? If we are here today it is because we can no longer tolerate that silence is the only answer to those who need help, the difference between a society that grows and one that disintegrates often depends on small daily choices, our commitment is not an abstract idea but a confident sowing that has already borne much fruit. Gender-based violence is a collective failure of a culture that often tolerates silence, each of us has a role to play and this requires commitment and courage. On the day of the hearing with Filippo Turetta, I felt heartbreaking pain, but I could not feel anger toward my daughter’s perpetrator, and on the evening of the hearing on the way home I was able to imagine our world as an ecosystem where everyone of can inject hate or love. We cannot change events but we can decide how to react,” he concludes.The event, which was held in connection with the European Parliament, at the initiative of MEP Alessandra Moretti, and schools; included an address of greeting from the vice president of the Chamber, Giorgio Mulè; contributions from the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara; and the Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella. “At the Chamber, which is the home of Italians, a foundation is presented that speaks of an Italian woman who has suffered, who has been a victim of gender violence, and from here starts the commitment so that throughout Italy there will be a respect and a different approach to an issue that also this year counts too many people killed.” says Chamber Vice-President Giorgio Mulè, explaining that “this is the place from where a new approach starts that must be as formative as possible starting from schools, training is the main datum and the Chamber must provide all the physical and legislative tools so that more can be done as soon as possible.”For the Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, it is necessary “not to resign, not to forget the vast casuistry is very important and to do it in the name of Giulia, who has remained in the hearts of each of us, is fundamental. Violence against women is a scourge that comes from afar and that, despite the great changes that have taken place, we are unable to eradicate. It is a scourge that leaves a trail of pain but also a wound that is produced in the social fabric and in our communities,” he continued, “rooted in power asymmetry. Despite the battles waged and the laws, albeit very late, this long and arduous journey of these years has not decreased the rate of violence and the number of feminicides. The rate of feminicides is high all over Europe, even in countries that we are used to considering more advanced, there is something ingrained that we are not able to fight to the end. “Finally, Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, points out that “when a woman is offended or even killed it is civilization itself that is denied, the phenomenon manifests itself in feminicide in sexual violence but also in discrimination, allowing a woman to feel safe and have equal opportunities is a fundamental goal of those who believe in the values of each person. We face two paths: one concrete and the other ideological, the ideological view would like to solve the issue by fighting against patriarchy, but patriarchy as a legal phenomenon ended in 1975. Femicide, which is increasingly alarming, if once it was due to a proprietary conception,” he notes, “today it seems more the result of a severe narcissistic immaturity of the male. The real battle, therefore, is cultural, it starts in schools but does not only involve schools, it involves the family where we need relationships to be truly equal, it involves mass culture, the use of social media, advertising itself.” The morning was also an opportunity to introduce the first of the projects the Foundation will activate in 2025, the “Educational Project: prevention and awareness of gender-based violence,” which aims to promote a change in the structural and cultural dimensions underlying gender-based violence through prevention, training and empowerment. Concrete actions will involve schools, families, communities and the professionals who work with victims of violence and will be conducted in networks with other actors.
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(ITALPRESS).
