Female employment as a tool for inclusion and recovery
“Speaking about money (not cash, but money!) is a militant act in itself,” explains Azzurra Rinaldi, alias the “Prof,” one of the protagonists of the meeting dedicated to “Female employment as a tool for inclusion and recovery.” Last Tuesday’s meeting at the Palazzo Wedekind was organised by the Fondazione Gi Group and involved us together with organisations such as the Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo and the Fondazione Maria Lattuada onlus, with the media partnership of Vita. The meeting shed light on work as a means for the evolution and liberty of women. Speakers included FMD Director General Mirta Michilli, who illustrated the actions fielded to bolster female empowerment by presenting a young woman, Sara Alushaj, who participated in one of our lifelong learning projects [see news: "Dig4All Cured a Part of Me"].
“FMD uses technology, like artificial intelligence, to custom-tailor learning activities and overcome social barriers. Digital skills play a crucial role, especially for women, and we place them at the centre of initiatives like Coding Girls to promote gender equality and critical thinking,” Mirta explains.
Sara, who is from Albania, has been in Bologna for three years to cure a serious disease. She participated in Project Dig4All and attended the Social Media Marketer Course. She found that the course provided her with motivation and changed her life, allowing her to at least mentally escape the hospital and to study the job market in a new country. “I am learning to cure the flower in my garden. And I am the first, with my life and my skills,” says Sara.
“We experiment with concrete projects for sustainable employment that must be respectable, fair, ongoing, inclusive, and must not subtract resources from the new generations,” explains Chiara Violini, President of the Fondazione Gi Group. "With Destination Work, our corporate social responsibility activity, we provide our skills and know how to local communities through initiatives and events around Italy.”
Azzurra Rinaldi, who founded Equonomics, a training and consulting company, emphasises the importance of economic independence, pointing out that “money has historically been bound to power and this is why women are at a disadvantage. According to the Boston Consulting Group, 70% of wealth is still owned by men.” How can we overturn this condition of inequality? With Work! “Working women must be free. They drive the gross domestic product but also choose to have children. In order to fight economic violence, often related to women’s dependence on their partners, we need a systematic approach as well as a change of attitude. We need to speak about money more freely, without conditioning or embarrassment, even with our friends.”
Eleonora Paladino, Vice Presidente Cug Inps, addressed the measures enacted by INPS for its personnel and for all workers. Monsignor Davide Milani, President of the Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo, commented the short feature “Dovecote” produced by Director Marco Perego with famous actress Zoe Saldana and Marcello Fonte. It’s one of the video installations in the Holy Seat’s pavilion at the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale, held at the former female prison on the Island of the Giudecca. “The short feature is based on the true story of an inmate who at the end of her term decided not to leave … to demonstrate that prisons can form communities, a home, and be a true work environment, too.”
Amongst the speakers, moderated by Maria Cristina Origlia, socio-economic journalist and President of the “Forum della Meritocrazia,” there also was Patrizia Omati, President of the Fondazione Maria Lattuada.
The report and interviews were produced by Onelia Onorati, Press Officer for the Fondazione Mondo Digitale.
