Undersecretary Rauti at the “Women in Defence Excellence Award”

Ceremony dedicated to female merit and leadership

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The Army Central Military Library hosted the “Women in Defence Excellence Award” ceremony, an initiative promoted by the Undersecretary of State for Defence, Senator Isabella Rauti, on International Women's Day.

"Eighty years after women's suffrage in Italy, the Defence Department has proven that it is not only an organisation with complete equality: female leadership was born and established from pioneering work. The promotion of gender differences in organisational, training and operational contexts has confirmed the strength of mixed teams: their synthesis constitutes a value greater than the sum of its individual components," said the Undersecretary in her speech.

"The women whose proud gaze I meet today represent the best of this journey. Each of them has written a page of this story with their silent and valuable service. There is no single form of excellence: they have all opened new paths, breaking down barriers that seemed insurmountable, honouring the Tricolour with daily rigour and far from the spotlight. In international missions, women in uniform have proved to be an irreplaceable asset. They are ambassadors and bearers on the ground of the principles of UN Resolution 1325 of 31 October 2000 on Women, Peace and Security," he added.

The event is part of the programme launched by the Undersecretary as part of his remit to promote gender equality and equal opportunities policies, with the aim of highlighting the contribution of women in the Defence sector - both military and civilian - who, through their commitment, competence and vision, have distinguished themselves, bringing prestige and honour to the Ministry.

During the ceremony, four women were honoured, one from each branch of the Armed Forces, one Red Cross nurse and one civilian employee of the Ministry of Defence, selected respectively by the Armed Forces leadership, the National Inspector of the Italian Red Cross Volunteer Nurses Corps and the Director General of Civilian Personnel. The awards were presented by the highest-ranking officers of each Armed Force, the Inspector of the Red Cross and the most senior civilian executive in the Defence Administration.

Part of the initiative was also dedicated to the operational and international dimension. During the ceremony, a video link was established with female personnel employed in two Operational Theatres as part of the Female Engagement Team (FET) and the CIMIC Cell, to present projects dedicated to the local female population and to testify, in the field, to the value of the Defence's action in support of the principles of the UN resolution “Women, Peace and Security”.

The ceremony provided an opportunity to renew the Defence Ministry's commitment to promoting an organisational culture based on merit, equal opportunities and professional development, recognising the role of women as an essential component in serving the country.