20/11/2024

The event “EmpowHer. Voices of women transforming the future” presented an alliance of women managers and philanthropists who have come together to produce real change in Africa and Italy on the issue of women’s empowerment. The event was organised on 21 November in Milan by Amref Italia, in collaboration with Fondazione Riccardo Catella, with the patronage of the Municipality of Milan and the support of Fondazione AEM, Fondazione Cariplo and MITI spa.

The event featured testimonies from young women fighting against gender-based violence in Africa and Italy, the launch of the EmpowHer Fund, and contributions from several leading figures from the worlds of entertainment and culture: Fiorella Mannoia, Ambra Angiolini, Saba Anglana and Epoque. Another special moment was the presentation of Pianegonda’s All One jewel, a symbol of support for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

For every additional year of education a girl receives, her future income can increase by up to 25%. This is just one of the many figures showing that investing in the empowerment of women and girls generates multiple long-term impacts and deep, lasting change, improving the health, economic and social conditions of communities. Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa in particular — where Amref has been operating since 1957 — is the continent with the deepest and most deeply rooted gender inequalities. Investing in the empowerment of African women is therefore crucial.

This is the reason behind the creation of the EmpowHer Alliance, formed by women committed to change who spoke at the event. Among them were Lara Ponti (Vice President of Ponti S.p.A. and member of Amref’s Board of Directors), Renata Gorgani (CEO of Editrice Il Castoro), Nicoletta Luppi (CEO of MSD Italia), Chiara Rota (CEO and founder of My Cooking Box), Beatrice Beleggia (CEO of Pianegonda), Maria Teresa Minotti (Country Senior Director at PayPal), Silvia Negri Firman (Founder of Negri Firman PR & Communication), Valeria Panini (President of AIDDA Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta), and Maria Elena Viola (Editor-in-Chief of Donna Moderna). The alliance aims to build bridges, relationships and new opportunities through the different “worlds” and roles of these women, who are committed to creating a fairer society.

One of the initiatives presented at the event was the EmpowHer Fund, created by Amref Health Africa — the largest African health NGO — with the aim of involving and motivating individuals, companies, foundations and philanthropists to invest in women’s empowerment, especially in Africa, but also in Italy. The fund’s areas of intervention for the 2025–2026 two-year period are all connected to gender equality and focus on women’s health, education and training, climate change and access to water.

After the institutional greetings by Paola Crestani (President of Amref Italia) and Kelly Russell Catella (General Manager of Fondazione Riccardo Catella), an inspiring and collaborative dialogue began. The protagonists of the EmpowHer Alliance took part, along with many others.

Particularly valuable were the testimonies of Nice Leng’ete (Founder of Nice Place Foundation and Amref Ambassador for women’s rights) and Cynthia Oningoi (Amref Ambassador against female genital mutilation — FGM), both committed to the fight against FGM in Kenya and around the world. Also active in Italy against this form of violence is Jasmina El Shouraky (Youth activist for the Y-Act Project). Anthropologist and D&I expert Kaaj Tshikalandand also joined this chorus of voices for change.