(on the occasion of International Women's Day - 8th of March, 2024)
Within the framework of the initiatives for the 140th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, the Embassy of Italy in the Republic of Korea organised, on the occasion of the International Women's Day, the third edition of 'Ambassador for a day', a project that allows a Korean university student to join the Ambassador of Italy in Seoul, Emilia Gatto, during a typical day of her life, to gain high-level direct experience in an international working environment.
The student was selected after an examination of the essays that participants from various Korean universities were required to write on the topic 'Empowering Change: Why Eliminating Violence Against Women Will Contribute to the Wellbeing of Men', developing their own ideas and contributing to the enrichment of in-depth conversation that can lead to profound change in the area of gender-based violence.
The winner Jennifer Yaewon Lee, a student of international studies at the prestigious Ewha Womans University, had the opportunity, on March 5th, to follow the Italian Ambassador in Seoul, Emilia Gatto, during her daily activities, taking part in meetings with relevant cultural, scientific and industrial personalities. One of these meetings was with Marica Branchesi, Professor of Astrophysics at the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) and research associate at the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), who chairs the Scientific Council of the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) and the Observation Science Board of the Einstein Telescope (ET), the world's largest future gravitational wave detector that Italy is a candidate to host.
Among the activities organised, there were two related to the 140th anniversary celebrations: first, a visit to the photo exhibition 'All Roads Lead to History: Italy and Korea' at the National Museum of Contemporary Korean History (open until 31 March), together with participants from past editions; then a visit to the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition (CxC Art Museum 13.01-21.04), organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul. The student also attended the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ITCCK) board meeting at the premises of the Made in Italy showroom, High Street Italia. The day ended with a networking dinner, attended by influential women from different fields, such as politics, culture and academics.
"For this edition, we wanted to reflect on the idea that gender-based violence does not only affect women but has consequences for the whole of society. It is not a zero-sum game, the elimination of violence against women can contribute and have positive consequences for men as well. It is important that we discuss these issues, which is why this year we wanted to focus on creating and strengthening a network of contacts that can lead to a fervent interchange of ideas." Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto's comment.