The announcement in the Senigallia (Ancona) City Council by Cinzia Petetta (Brothers of Italy), Councilor for Human Services and Equal Opportunities, that November 19th would be celebrated as "International Men's Day" has sparked controversy and criticism. The announcement aims to promote positive male role models, address violence and appropriate behavior, both to those who perpetrate violence and to "the majority of men who behave well as fathers, husbands, and citizens."
These words have drawn harsh criticism from numerous cultural and feminist associations in the Marche region and its cities, including the Women's Spi Cgil Senigallia coordination group, the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), the women of the Democratic Party (PD), the 'Vola Senigallia' list, the Senigallia AVS party, the Senigallia Libera garrison 'Attilio Romanò', and the 'Marche Feminist Network Molto+di194'.
"This choice," argue those opposed to the initiative, "presupposes and implies a specious contrast and a misleading 'equation' between the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, proclaimed in 1991 by a certain Thomas Oaster and never recognized by the UN, and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, established by the UN in 1999 and celebrated worldwide on November 25th each year."
Among the points of contention is the contrast between the male and female worlds, while the groups involved in the issue of gender violence have long called for ever greater "involvement of aware men in combating the devastating structural phenomenon of femicide, not coincidentally recently recognized unanimously as a specific crime against women."
The associations define it as "paradoxical that at institutional levels, particularly those responsible for equal opportunities , such a divisive and simplistic attitude should be observed": they ask that the resources be used to raise awareness about combating inequalities and discrimination against women and those most vulnerable and marginalized, starting in schools.
(Unioneonline)
