Italy’s Minister for Equal Opportunities and Family, Elena Bonetti, said on Thursday evening in the northern Italian coastal town of Santa Margherita Ligure. It was the first ever G20 conference on this subject. It must be a milestone for the 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries (G20) to strengthen basic rights for women and to put an end to violence against them.
Germany was represented by the State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth, Juliane Seifert. According to Bonetti, the conference made it clear how complex the issue of equality is and how important it would be for the G20 states to work together. Women were also particularly affected during the corona pandemic. She called for stereotypes to be eliminated so that women had more opportunities in the labor market.
The situation of women in Afghanistan, which was recently recaptured by the militant Islamist Taliban, was also an issue. At the start of the conference, Prime Minister Mario Draghi read out a message in which he pointed out that Afghan women and girls were on the verge of losing freedom and dignity. Above all, the G20 must uphold their right to education and the progress that has been made over the past 20 years. Italy currently holds the presidency of the G20. The G20 summit is planned in Rome for the end of October.