Ulaanbaatar, March 11, 2025 /MONTSAME/. The Embassy of the Italian Republic in Mongolia and the National Committee on Gender Equality (NCGE) jointly organized a discussion under the theme “Empowerment Through Time: The Road to Gender Equality.”

This discussion was held in observance of International Women’s Rights Day and was attended by  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Mongolia Giovanna Piccarreta, Member of the State Great Khural (Parliament) of Mongolia and Chair of the Mongolia-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group Undraa Agvaanluvsan, Secretary-General of the National Committee on Gender Equality Enkhbayar Tumur-Ulzii, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank for Mongolia Shannon Cowlin, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Ulaanbaatar Matilda Dimovska, and other officials headed by Head of Office of the UNFPA in Mongolia Khalid Sharifi.

During the discussion, Secretary-General of the NCGE Enkhbayar Tumur-Ulzii said, “It is necessary to focus on improving women’s economic empowerment. In particular, attention must be given to increasing the economic capacity of women working in the livestock and agricultural sectors. Additionally, we will focus on gender-responsive financing in cooperation with the State Great Khural of Mongolia. Lastly, we will place special emphasis on gender-based violence, as the number of cases has not decreased. Therefore, we will undertake concrete actions to address this issue.” He also mentioned that the NCGE has launched a campaign titled “Mutual Respect.” As part of this campaign, in honor of Mongolian Soldiers’ Day, six critical national issues affecting both men and women will be proposed for discussion with the Parliament of Mongolia on March 25, 2025. These include supporting women’s employment and creating opportunities for parents to work while taking care of their children. The initiative also aims at involving private sector organizations in these efforts. 

As part of the discussion, attendees were shown the film “There’s Still Tomorrow”, directed by Paola Cortellesi, with a screenplay written by Giulia Calenda and Furio Andreotti. Released in 2023, the film attracted special attention in Italy’s film industry due to its exploration of gender equality and domestic violence. Set in post-war 1940s Italy, the film follows Delia, a woman who, after receiving a mysterious letter, begins to challenge traditional family roles and pursue a different future. Over the past two years, the film has won three awards at the Rome Film Festival and has become one of Italy’s top 10 highest-grossing films of all time. Additionally, at the 69th David di Donatello Awards, the film received 19 nominations and won six awards, including Best New Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, the David Youth Award, and the David Audience Award.