(Jul. 3rd) “I find in men and women the same professionalism and expertise. There is no doubt, however, that, since women were admitted into the armed forces, there is more attention and greater sensitivity in everything is done”, said Italy’s Minister of Defence Roberta Pinotti, speaking this morning at the event “Dalla difesa all’impresa: missioni al femminile (From the Defense to business companies: female missions)”, organized by the association Valore D. “The presence of women in the army – said the Minister – has been instrumental in missions abroad, for example in facing Afghan women and to respect their local traditions. Women have been a support for them, especially in cases of child abuse and early marriage, thanks to the ability to communicate with them and understand their needs. The female component of the army does not act as a separate part, but does so in such a way that the overall work of the armed forces is more attentive and directed toward a civil evolution.” During the morning, Captain Francesca Giardulli, member of the Female Engagement Team in Afghanistan, intervened in the event, stressing that, even from a cultural point of view, the presence of women is crucial in missions abroad and how high local people have of a high expectations about them. Sima Pajman, Colonel of the Afghan Army Colonel and director of the women’s prison in Herat, a reality in which women prisoners may feel protected and encouraged in entrepreneurial activities within the prison, took also part. Then Minister Pinotti expressed her opinion about Italy’s mission in Afghanistan. “It is often said that the Army should withdraw from Afghanistan – she said – the reality is that the armed forces are sent where it is needed and they operate in accordance with constitutional principles. The Afghans themselves are concerned about the possibility that Italians will leave those territories. We are not in Afghanistan to wage war but, for example, to give Afghan girl a chance to go to school, what was forbidden them during the Taliban regime. The safety of those places is a necessary condition for an economic development and stabilization. The goal is to make this country able to self-manage their own security, but it cannot be left alone now.”
