A red bench in Canberra against violence against women

(ANSA) - ROMA, 25 NOV - On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Ambassador Paolo Crudele inaugurated the red bench in the courtyard of the Italian Embassy in Canberra, a symbol chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in memory of the many women victims of violence and their lost lives.
    The embassy is participating in the 'Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!' campaign, promoted by Un Women, which will involve civil society through sixteen days of initiatives. Established by UN General Assembly resolution in 2000 - in memory of the brutal murder of the Mirabal sisters -, the International Day aims to raise awareness among institutions and world public opinion to unite efforts at every level to end violence and discrimination against women. This theme, which will be brought to the Fiuggi-Anagni G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, is also reflected in the numerous international campaigns in which our country is at the forefront: from the eradication of female genital mutilation to the fight against early and forced marriages.
    "It is my pleasure and honour to inaugurate on this symbolic date the red bench, which invites us to reflect on the empty place left in society by the many women victims of feminicide," Ambassador Crudele said in front of the venue staff. "In line with what Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tajani said, it is necessary to counter all acts of violence or discrimination and at the same time to support all efforts towards full gender equality, the protection of the right to education and equal opportunities for women and girls to enter the labour market.