Something new was stirring in Barga this morning. A new direction, a new start, a new source of energy and all of it coming from one single group of people – from women. For the first time in this area, the Comune of Barga is leading the way with the first Equal Opportunity Commission ever to be assembled. Finally the women get to have their say, their point of view and their hopes for the future examined, discussed and made public in a coherent and institutional manner via the recently formed Equal Opportunity Commission.
The commission is made up of 12 women from both sides of the political spectrum here in the Comune. They include Caterina Campani and Giovanna Stefani from the maggioranza working side by side with Elena Barsanti and Emma Biagioni, both from the opposition. Gabriella Pedreschi, assessore provinciale alle pari opportunità has also been involved from the start and was in Palazzo Pancrazi this morning to lend her considerable political force to the commission.
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Visiters to the packed Palazzo Pancrazi were there to hear the key note speech from the President of the Equal Opportunity Commission, Mary Campbell who although claiming that she was unused to public speaking gave a moving speech setting out in precise terms the areas in which the Equal Opportunity Commission will be working in the future.
The first was combating the violence against women. Not just in terms of physical violence but also the pervasive mental violence which over time destroys women’s dignity. The second she defined as “diversity” and safeguarding not just simple ethnic diversity but any kind of difference and outlook which must be protected against discrimination and prejudice. The third and final part, she named “information” and talked about how information must be in the hands of all.
At the end of the meeting all present then moved on to the Mayor’s terrace overlooking Barga where women’s names were written on 30 helium filled white balloons which were then released into the sky.
The next stop was the Galleria Comunale to cut the ribbon on the exhibition “Partita alla Pari” specially organised by the Equal Opportunity Commission reflecting how artists in the area depicted the role of women in today’s society.
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La Commissione Pari Opportunità del Comune di Barga organizza presso la Galleria Comunale, una mostra d’arte dal titolo PARTITA alla PARI
Espongono: Maddalena Antognoli – Marcella Bertoli Barsotti-Maria Elena Caproni-Clara Curto-Fabrizio Da Prato-Alice Dini-Sergio Fini-Nazareno Giusti-Claudio Grazioli-Fabio Guazzelli-Virginia Landi-Paola Marchi-Giancarlo Marovelli-Lucia Pedri-Lara Pellegrini-Maria Domenica Raimondi-Sandra Rigali-Nicola Salotti-Caterina Salvi-Giulia Santarini-Stefano Tommasi
Listen to the President of the Equal Opportunity Commission, Mary Campbell giving her key note speech this morning in the Palazzo Pancrazi in Barga Vecchia by clicking on the link below: