THE EAGLE – “Discussing women’s Europe is very important, it is a topic that is not only particularly close to my heart, but which I believe is crucial for the future of Europe itself. The Europe of women is a better Europe for everyone”. With these words, the architect Eliseo IanniniForza Italia’s candidate for the June European elections in the Southern constituency, received applause during the Europe of Women conference, held last night in Teramo and organized by Forza Italia.
Conference during which there were appreciated remote connections from Fi parliamentarians Nazario Paganopresident of the Constitutional Affairs commission of the Chamber of Deputies and regional coordinator of Abruzzo, e Catia Polidori. Also present at the works of the Sporting hotel Valeria Toppettiregional coordinator of Fi, speaker and moderator, in addition to the speakers Emilia Valentini and Rita Ettorreprovincial coordinators, e Antonella Ballonecandidate for the European elections.
“Three names immediately come to mind: Ursula von der Leyen, Christine Lagarde and Roberta Metsola. You know them very well,” added Iannini. “Ursula von der Leyen is our current president of the European Commission, Christine Lagarde leads the European Central Bank, and Roberta Metsola is the president of the European Parliament. They are authoritative and determined voices, successful figures who, if we want, help to break down stereotypes and prejudices about the capabilities of women. They are not there as women, they don’t lead certain institutions because they belong to some pink quota. Far from it. Precisely for this reason, beyond the political profiles of each, they are important examples”added Iannini, who then recalled the figure of L’Aquila Elena Marinuccihistoric socialist exponent, senator and then European parliamentarian. “We owe her a lot, also with respect to the topic we are discussing. She left us last year and I regret it very much. These four women are key examples because they have helped and continue to help destroy that antiquated idea that women are less capable than men. They show that women have the same skills, the same intelligence and the same determination as men, if not more. However, we must be honest about the current state of affairs. Despite progress, women in Europe still face significant challenges. In Italy, despite the efforts of the last 20 years, we are often behind our European partners. Two issues in particular come to mind: pay disparities and under-representation in governance. Women must have the same access as men to political and economic opportunities. Not only do we need more women in politics, but we also need more women on company boards of directors, in city councils, in regional ones where the percentage is still very low, and in all spheres of the collective life of the community”.
“In the 2022 gender equality index developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality, Italy obtained a score lower than the EU average”Iannini remarked. “Despite more than 50 years of gender equality policies at European level, the report shows how gender inequalities are still relevant and how improvements are achieved too slowly. There is also a lot to do when it comes to wage disparities. We must work to ensure that women are not paid less than men for the same work. It is a question of justice and also of economics. I am an entrepreneur, from my experience I can say that companies and organizations with more diverse leadership are more innovative and stronger. In Italy there is still a lot to do in this regard. A helping hand will come with the transposition of the European directive approved last May. The implementation of the policies envisaged with the Pnrr will also be important, but the effort must involve the entire community, at all levels. If we want a strong and competitive Europe, we must ensure that all intellectual resources, including those of women, are fully integrated into the socio-economic system. We must continue to fight for a Europe where female talent and competence are fully recognized and valued. It’s a question of fairness and it’s an investment in our future.” concluded the entrepreneur from L’Aquila. “The Europe of women is a better Europe for everyone”.
