On July 2, in the Cascina Triulza Auditorium, a meeting entitled “Feeding the brain, challenging role models through sports” was held by WE-Women for Expo and presented by OXFAM. This meeting, a part of Women’s Weeks at Expo Milano 2015, benefited from participation by former volleyball playerMaurizia Cacciatori; byMarta Dassù, executive president of WE-Women for Expo,Maurizia Iachino, president of OXFAM Italy;Jo Ann Buysse, professor at the University of Minnesota;Gertrud Pfister, professor at the University of Copenhagen;Stefania Demetz, general director of the world’s cup of skiing of Val Gardena;Melania Gabbiadini, soccer player with Verona Calcio; andBarbara Ricci, CEO of SportWide Group. A video message fromFrancesca Schiavoneconcluded the event. 
 

Teaming up to fight stereotypes

 

Gender diversity, discrimination and marginalization are the themes of the day for women making progress as professionals in the sports world. For this reason, We-Women for Expo and OXFAM organized a meeting to discuss strategies to defeat the clichés of women’s sports, giving women a way to come together and an education to help them enjoy their essential rights. “To help women throughout the world in a practical way,” explainedMaurizia Iachino, “we must stamp out stereotypes and achieve success.” All the participants agreed in considering sports a way to heal the wounds of poverty that often are manifested as hunger. AsMaurizia Cacciatoristated, “sports teaches us to play on a team and to pursue a goal together,” a natural gift for women who play a role in and support the communities they live in and who must assert themselves even more to fight as one against hunger and social injustice.