Talking to Sabina Belli, CEO of Pomellato, about the Italian jeweller’s support of International Women’s Day is an uplifting moment. Not only is she living proof that things are evolving for women, but she is also an inspiring business leader who doesn’t shy away from supporting gender equality.
Since Belli launched #PomellatoForWomen in 2017, a platform to promote positive female empowerment, the Milanese company has released a video on the 8th of March each year to advocate for women’s rights. From day one, Pomellato joined forces with Jane Fonda, one of the original feminists and political activists, and among Hollywood’s most decorated actresses, alongside other ambassadors to convey its message.
In this year’s edition, “Pomellato’s godmother” is in conversation with other inspiring women to talk about freedom. Joined by Iranian rock climber Nasim Eshqi, Italian volleyball champion, writer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights Paola Egonu, American actress, entrepreneur and producer Joey King and Belli herself, the five will collectively reflect on what freedom really means, prompting us “to speak up, to listen, to learn, to act together”.
Joey King’s vision of freedom is the ability “to feel whatever she wants to feel and to be as loud as she wants to be”. She considers herself lucky that so many women in her industry have paved the way before her and done the groundwork for her freedom. Thanks to them, she is empowered to make her own decisions in a male-dominated industry without fear of missed work opportunities.
For Paola Egonu, freedom is about trusting who you are, and being who you want to be. She associates her sense of freedom with how she feels during a match, when she is thinking only of the game itself and nothing else. She confides that her biggest expression of freedom is crying.
Nasim Eshqi describes how her freedom has always been constrained in Iran. Choosing what she wants to wear, say or believe is not an option, so climbing has become her free space to be herself, away from everything and everyone. “The biggest threat to freedom is being silent,” she says. “My dream is that in my country, we don’t have underage marriage anymore.”
With a 75% female workforce and the tagline “Pomellato, caring for women since 1967”, the brand’s courage to embrace discussions around gender equality speaks loud and clear about how any form of notoriety can be used as a force for good to bring attention to societal dysfunctions.
Those who believe the battle is won and that conversations around women’s rights are no longer necessary need to remember that, out of the 197 countries in the world today, 98 do not legally provide for equal remuneration for work of equal value. In 41 countries, daughters cannot inherit in the same way as their brothers. Some 32 countries have not enacted legislation to specifically address domestic violence. In 29 countries, women cannot legally head their households. And only 25 countries mandate quotas to achieving gender equality in politics, despite 192 countries guaranteeing participation in the political affairs of the state.
Jane Fonda says it all when she states that “freedom is complicated and that it is worth fighting for”. So, shall we fight alongside her and all the other brave women and men who are unafraid to talk? Or shall we ignore the fact that one in three women across all cultures and social classes is, or will be, a victim of violence during her lifetime?
Shall we take a risk and spread Pomellato’s message far and wide in the hope that one day these statistics no longer exist, or shall we join the chorus of voices that tell our young girls not to embrace careers in finance, rugby or architecture because it is too much of a macho environment for them to thrive?
Shall we say nothing when women are repeatedly told not to wear this, or not to go there, or not to do this, or not to say that? Shall we keep quiet when we witness sexists’ comments or discriminatory attitudes? Or shall we join the conversation with Pomellato and its courageous speakers to help shape the society of tomorrow, where our daughters and sons will be treated as equals?
