Meeting World Pulse along my life journey was something unexpected and surprising.
I was already interested in social issues and I have been working with two organizations devoted to environment conservation, children rescue and education, immigrants social inclusion. Since the beginning, I noticed that the common denominator to all successful stories and projects were women. The engine of change and development. I started focusing on this aspect in my everyday work.
I came to know about this amazing on line community a few weeks ago and by chance, thanks to a post on facebook. A simple click and it was love at first sight!
“Here you are, at last!” I said to myself as I went through the posts and beautiful writings of many women who were there before me. I read about the opportunity to apply for Voices for Our Future and my first reaction was “Oh yes, I want to do it!” but later on came the doubts: would I be good enough? Did I have something to write about? What did I have to offer, was my experience as a woman worth being reported?
Still, I felt I had to try. So here I am, writing, reading, posting, learning and growing. Yes, growing. In a sole month, I have known new realities, stories of strength and courage, cultures which are so different and distant from mine but, at the same time, so close in feelings and spirit…
Being in this community led me to look at myself, my culture and my ways of being a woman from a different perspective.
I share and endorse the vision of World Pulse, and I know being here will inspire me to try and create a change in my country. I am now more aware of the fact that, despite seeming to have achieved gender equality, here in Italy, many women are more likely to be left alone as they face their duties: being a worker, a mother, a wife and a housewife at the same time. Work conditions being equal, women are paid less than men and face more difficulties in finding a job, due to the “danger” that they might become pregnant. I would like to create something new for them, give them a space where they can share their fears, hopes, needs.
On the other hand, there are women who use their bodies and beauty to achieve success. They humiliate all those women from the past who fought for their rights as well as all the women who struggle everyday to demonstrate and keep their dignity. These women fuel a vicious circle made of stereotypes and male chauvinism. All this must come to an end.
I feel my journey here in World Pulse will enable me to start a change and hopefully help women to re-discover the blessing and beauty of being a woman.