Ponte in Rosa - a Women`s Bridge - CICC Promoted initiative, Official Presentation to the Italian Senate

The project "Ponte in Rosa - a women`s bridge" was officially presented to the attention of the Italian Senate in Rome, on April 28^th.

China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, the Italian Senate, Fondazione Italia Cina have jointly promoted the project, which was realized by journalist Francesca di Biagio, and sponsored by CICC Member Company,  Shanghai SP Insurance Brokers and BC&I Insurance Brokers.

AGIM (Association of young Italians in the world) have also contributed to the realization of the project with a technical support.

Mrs Laura Allegrini, Senator, Secretary of the Parliament Commission for Childhood, opened the presentation session, by highlighting how the project came to life, as an objective to witness the osmosis between Italian women and Chinese women in affirming their identity as "women", in today`s modern China.

Mrs Emma Bonino, Senator, Vice President of the Senate of Italian Republic, gave an insightful speech, bringing her own experience of working woman and her role in the social, economical and political affirmation of women as a tangible example of how women skills shouldn`t only be confined to those areas stereotypically considered "womanly", such as fashion industry and social works. Indeed, business women and entrepreneurs can be found in any industries, achieving tremendous results, at the same length of men`s, and bringing an effective, active, and efficient contribution to the development of business relations, social integration and economic growth.

Mr Giuseppe Menardi, Senator, Vice President of the Commission for Public Works and Communication of the Senate of Italian Republic, shared Mrs Bonino`s views and affirmed that "women are the leading edge of our society, they represent the future, having a unique awareness of `international community` to which everyone should naturally belong and strive for".

Mr Thomas Rosenthal, of Fondazione Italia-Cina, brought to the audience the greetings of President Cesare Romiti, who could not attend the forum, and gave an extremely interesting perspective on women`s development in China, by introducing some facts and figures.

China, positioned at the 94^th place in the United Nations Development Programme "Index of Human Development" (IHD), jumps up to the 79^th position when it comes to the "Gender Related Development Index" (GRDI), witnessing how the leveled playing field preached by Maoism since 1949 contributed to give equal opportunities to men and women in this country.

As an astonishing benchmark, Rosenthal provided the data of Japan, classified 8^th in the by the IHD, but dramatically loosing positions and classified 12^th in the GRDI.

Mr Giacomo Rustioni, Manager of Shanghai SP Insurance Broker, brought to the audience the greetings of CICC President, Mr Davide Cucino, by reading a message on his behalf.

Mr Cucino motivated the choice of CICC to patronage the project as a natural consequence of the role that CICC is having in China, working as a bridge between two cultures and between two economic entities. He as well underlined how Mao himself defined women as the "other half of the sky", empowering them and endorsing their active role in society.

Nowadays the co-existence and co-operation of Italian and Chinese enterprises in China and the increasing presence played by women in their echelons, is the mirror of how women are generating, as well as seizing opportunities of bilateral integration, exchange, growth and confrontation - in fact, among the women that were interviewed are some CICC Members, namely Cristiana Barbatelli of Pas Advisors, Alessandra Vismara of Magenta Master, Chiara Zappaterra of ITF, Dorothy Zhou of WAM, Isabelle Zhang of Jesa, Celina Mo of Studio Legale Zaglio, Orizio e Associati, and Sabina Leopaldi of ITL.

Mr Rustioni explained SPIB choice to sponsor the project, as an attempt of being consistent with their company role, working as a partner to both Chinese and Italian enterprises, offering them solutions to better secure and integrate their businesses.

Ms Francesca di Biagio, the master mind of the project, described "Ponte in Rosa" as a reportage on the internationalization of two countries, seen through the lenses of women`s eyes. It is a journey which casts light on the economic and social structure of Italian enterprises in China, whose vitality is reflected through the growth of the women working in them, whose personal and extraordinary life stories emerge from each of the interviews, bearing a message of positivity, optimism, hope.

For this reason, Ms di Biagio expressed to the audience the wish that this first edition of Ponte in Rosa will see further future editions, not only confined to China, but also to other parts in the world, where pro-active Italian enterprises bear with their example a message of continuous accomplishment.

Mr Giuseppe Mistretta, Chief of the Bureau for Middle East of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, confirmed to Ms di Biagio the willingness of the Italian institutions to bring this project forward.

Mr Tang Heng, Vice Ambassador of P.R.C in Rome, closed the session by complimenting the protagonists of this project, and assessing the importance of women in the consolidation of social and business ties between Italy and China.

A promo of the video is available for viewing on our website, by clicking on below link Ponte in Rosa - promo video.

The video of the official presentation at the Italian Senate can be seen by clicking on below link http://www.radioradicale.it/scheda/277796.

DVD copies of the video Ponte in Rosa are available for sale at CICC Office in Shanghai. Should you wish to buy one, please contact Ms Elena Tosana at tel. 021.54075181, or by e-mail at infoshanghai@cameraitacina.com.