WAI, Assadakah, Focolare Movement, and Eye Of Art together against gender-based violence

Press release-November 25, 2023 The important event organized by the Welcome Association Italy and the Italian-Arab association Assadakah with the participation of the "Focolare Movement," the cultural association Occhio dell'Arte APS and several institutional personalities to raise awareness on the issue of gender-based violence was held in Rome on 11/24/2023. The meeting, moderated by journalist Lisa Bernardini, was attended by guests of international stature such as:

• E. Enas Mekkawy, head of the Arab League diplomatic mission in Rome;
• E. Asmahan Al Toqi, Dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Rome and ambassador of Yemen;
• Zeinab Ismail, chairman of the board of directors of Al Huda Mosque in Rome.

During the event, the Assadakah Award was presented to Marche-based artist Francesca Guidi for her social and cultural engagement at the international level. H.E. Enas Mekkawi thanked the organizers of the event, and recalled the many occasions when the Arab League has collaborated to implement many projects aimed at spreading the culture of peace: "Like every year, November 25 begins a special period for Arab culture, a sixteen-day outreach and awareness campaign that will end on December 10, in conjunction with World Human Rights Day, under the banner of the color orange, which expresses solidarity and love. With the Arab League, we have carried out important initiatives to raise awareness and protect women, such as the "Me Too" campaign under the auspices of the United Nations, overcoming all barriers of color, religion, culture, and social status." Zainab Ismail, in his speech, pointed out that the problem of women is felt at different levels and in different cultures, thus still too widespread, although since ancient times, the Quran itself recognizes the equality of the person. H.E. Asmahan Al Toqi further stated, "This is not the first time I have taken part in such events, and it is good that they are so widespread and frequent. The problem is certainly present, but also actively addressed, and seeing so many people participating means that awareness is working. We have made great strides since when gender differences were also derived from physical differences alone; today we live in a new era, with important achievements, and in many cases the roles have reversed. International laws have made great progress, but there are still societies where women struggle for their rights. However, the fact remains that there are still too many cases of violence against women." The event concluded with a speech by Francesca Guidi, who expressed her thanks and solidarity to all women experiencing difficult conditions.