International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

All events not to be missed on Monday 25 November in Florence

Every year, 25 November is celebrated worldwide as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The date was chosen by a group of women activists gathered at the Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Meeting, held in Bogota in 1981, the UN General Assembly later formalised this date. On 25 November 1960, the three Mirabal sisters, on their way to visit their husbands in prison, were blocked on the road by agents of the Military Intelligence Service. Taken to a hidden location nearby, they were raped, tortured, bludgeoned and strangled, and then thrown over a cliff in their car to simulate an accident. They are considered examples of revolutionary women because of their commitment to oppose the regime of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, the dictator who kept the Dominican Republic in backwardness and chaos for over 30 years.

In order to draw attention to this day and, above all, to an increasingly important topic, here are the events not to be missed in the city.

A programme of events at La Compagnia, including book presentations, screenings and live performances

For the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, celebrated on 25 November, La Comapagnia cinema hosts a programme of events, including book presentations, live performances and screenings, organised in collaboration with La Toscana delle donne of the Region of Tuscany. It starts at 4.00 p.m., in the La Compagnia auditorium, with a meeting with free admission: the presentation of the book ‘Vite in Tempesta’ (Castelvecchi Editore) by Antonella Matranga, journalist of ‘D’ di Repubblica and writer, who for the occasion will dialogue with journalist Elisabetta Berti (La Repubblica Firenze). At 6 p.m., Katia Beni and Benedetta Giustini will be the protagonists of RIGHTS AND ROVESTS... BUT EQUAL, an improbable interview in which an unconventional journalist and a cleverly comic actress will talk about women's rights and equal opportunities, especially in the world of show business, where communication is the key element. Admission is free with prior booking. At 9 p.m. the Cinema comes to life with the world premiere of Blue Dawn (2024), a short film centred on the drama of a woman victim of sexual violence, which will be presented in the presence of director Emanuela Mascherini. The short film proposes an extremely personal experience that has become a universal metaphor, an experiment between fictional cinema, reality and video art. Based on a true and personal story, Blue Dawn is a tale of the marks that violence leaves on the psyche as well as on the body. Closing the programme of events at La Compagnia, on 25 November, is the film La Testimone (Shahed) (2024), a feature film by Nader Saeivar, presented at the 81st edition of the Venice Film Biennale in the Orizzonti Extra section.

Until 30 November
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights - Italy
Women (every)day curated by Sara Onofrietti / Ora Art Project

An exhibition of five emerging women artists, Sofia Ancillotti, Benedetta Danti, Graziella Ingorgia, Chiara Nencioni and Alice Risaliti, called upon to represent what it means for them to be women today. The exhibition offers a profound and intimate look at the female figure and complex gender issues through multimedia works that weave together experiences and reflections on the condition of women in today's society.

Monday 25 November at 18.30
The Witness - Shahed, the film by Nader Saeivar at Spazio Alfieri

On Monday 25 November 2024, the Municipality of Florence, as part of the eighth edition of the Festival of Rights, is organising at the Spazio Alfieri the free-entrance screening of the film awarded by the public in Venice ‘La Testimone’ by the Iranian Nader Saeivar. Preceding the screening, at 6.30 p.m., there will be a presentation by Sanaz Partow for the association Donna Vita e Libertà, Michela Dalla Porta for the Casa delle Donne, and a talk by the Councillor for Equal Opportunities Benedetta Albanese.

Monday 25 November 21
Artemisia
Cartiere Carrara Theatre, Florence
Pictures of Women

On Monday 25 November 2024 at the Teatro Cartiere Carrara at 9 p.m., ‘Quadri di donne’ (Pictures of women) will be staged, the multidisciplinary project of dance, music and theatre, staged by a collaboration between several professional artistic realities in Florence, to bring art into the social sphere by addressing the issue of violence against women.

Thursday 28 November 5.30 p.m.
Artemisia
Viesseux Cabinet

On Thursday 28 November 2024, at 5.30 p.m., as part of the initiatives organised to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Artemisia Firenze is promoting the presentation of the book ‘Un'altra storia. Biografie imperfette’ by Sandra Landi (Edizioni Le Lettere 2024) at the Gabinetto Vieusseux. The initiative is part of the City of Florence's Festival dei Diritti 2024.

Wednesday 4 December at 21.00 and Thursday 5 December at 18.00
MAD - Murate Art District
‘Ismene’ by Ghiannis Ritsos - Krypton Company

On Wednesday 4 December 2024, at 9 p.m. and Thursday 5 December 2024, at 6 p.m., the MAD - Murate Art District hosts ‘Ismene’ by Compagnia Krypton with Flavia Pezzo, Massimo Bevilacqua and the direction of Fulvio Cauteruccio. The initiative is part of the Festival dei Diritti 2024 of the Municipality of Florence.

Saturday 14 December at 21
Murate Idea Park - Sala Pasquini
You can put the name

On Saturday, 14 December 2024, at 9 p.m., on the occasion of the initiatives for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Sala Wanda Pasquini of the Murate Idea Park (Piazza Madonna della Neve) will host ‘Il nome potete metterlo voi’, a theatrical performance by the Cultural Association Sine Qua Non. The initiative is part of the City of Florence's Festival dei Diritti 2024.