On Wednesday, June 17, during the second Italian edition of UN Women Italy’s HeForShe Advocate Program in Naples, we nominated four new Italian HeForShe Advocates: Francesco Billari, Guido Borsani, Stefano Ciccone, and William Griffini.
I had the pleasure and honor of nominating Stefano Ciccone, who has been committed for years to building critical and innovative reflection on the role of men in relationships, society, and the journey toward equality. Among his many activities, he also serves on the Scientific Committee of UN Women Italy, which I coordinate.
I believe this topic is particularly important today.
As incidents continue to emerge that expose the most toxic and regressive aspects of certain models of masculinity, we need to highlight men who choose to follow a different path.
We need men who don’t simply have a “clear conscience,” but who put their authority, their role, and their example at the service of a culture of respect, co-responsibility, and equality.
This is why the HeForShe project is so important.
Because it recognizes and values men who choose to be active allies, helping to make cultural change concrete and visible.
Gender equality is not just a women’s issue.
We need not only female role models, but also male role models capable of demonstrating that strength, leadership, and responsibility can be expressed without domination, discrimination, and violence.
