Bagni di Lucca’s week-long series of events dedicated to women and celebrating international women’s day have ended with record attendances for the display of art works, the conferences and the seminars.

Whether it be surrealism, magical-phantasy, metaphysical, impressionism, symbolism or any of the other artistic movements that may have influenced the contributors, one thing is certain: the variety of images produced by our area’s artists is quite captivating and ever-creative.

Here is the list of the artists.

Here are examples of their work in the gorgeous Lily room:

 

 

 

The casinò’s peacock room was, instead, dedicated to photographs. The local historical association presented a haunting display of village life and crafts which, as recently as fifty years ago, were still current in our valley.

 

 

 

Some crafts, of course, never die out. It was great to see photos of the workers who prepare such delicious meals for us at the Circolo dei Forestieri restaurant, for example.

 

 

 

And I was amazed to discover that the floral display in the casinò’s bar was made of kitchen vegetables!

 

 

 

Emphasis was also given to those women who fought for the right to vote, especially as it’s the hundredth anniversary that women were first given the vote in the UK (with reservations regarding age which lasted, unfortunately, until 1929 – see my post on this at https://longoio3.com/2018/02/21/cat-and-mouse-in-longoio/ ). Certificates were awarded to those women in our commune who were the first allowed, under the new republic, to vote in 1946.

Coincidentally, one theme I had met in my recent visit to the Museum of London was that regarding brothels – sex-slavery was brought up during the week’s seminars. It’s not often realised that, Italy, ‘case chiuse / di tolleranza’ were finally abolished in 1958 thanks to the efforts of socialist senator Lina Merlin against (of course…) the opposition of the then largely male parliament,

In an analogous development in the UK Josephine Butler, whose story we heard at the Museum of London, campaigned for the abolition of sex-slavery, child prostitution, for the right to better education for women and for their right to vote.

Just because a law is passed doesn’t mean that social situations automatically improve. The campaigning energy of Lina Merlin and Josephine Butler must continue indefinitely, especially now where, particularly in Italy, criminal gangs continue to force an unknown number of women into sex slavery under the pretext of false promises and with murderous threats.

In one conference I was asked to participate as English-to-Italian interpreter. At first, I thought there would not be many Italian-only speakers among the audience but, in fact this was quite the opposite and I am glad that my services proved useful as the themes discussed were of great interest and, for me, quite novel. The speakers were Dr Jocelynne A. Stutt and Karen Buczynski-Lee.

Dr Jocelynne A. Scutt is an Australian feminist lawyer, writer and commentator. She is one of Australia’s leading human rights barristers, and has served as Tasmania’s anti-discrimination Commissioner and as Fiji’s high court judge. Jocelynne has written on women, law and culture conformity and their contradiction and conflict. Law is based on culture, and culture is influenced by law and both impact substantially on women. However, women are not the major players in law-making and in some countries they still remain outside law-making institutions. Jocelynne’s work on interpreting the Magna Charta of 1215 in the light of feminine politics was a theme of the evening in which I intervened as interpreter.

Another coincidence here: Jocelynne, who is a member of both the British Labour Party and Australian Labour Party, is counsellor for Arbury, Cambridge: the same ward where I was play-leader from the local housing association some years ago.

Karen Buczynski-Lee’s films cast new light on feminism and emerging technologies. Karen addresses questions of culture and law, in relation to women’s identity and representation as film-makers. Taking an historical perspective Karen looked at newly developing technologies at the turn of the 19th into the 20th century, when women struggled for the vote and to stand for parliament whilst being classed by the law as non-persons, unable to assert their identities.

A film by Karen reveals how Vida Goldstein’s convictions changed the place of women forever. In 1902 Vida Goldstein was the first Australian political leader to meet with US president Theodore Roosevelt while visiting the US for the International Woman Suffrage Conference as the Australian and New Zealand delegate.

Goldstein was Australia’s mother of feminism: an internationally renowned suffragist, the first woman in the British Empire to stand for parliament, and an unofficial ministerial adviser who worked tirelessly for the rights of women and children.

She was an avid campaigner for equal pay for women and for the regulation of child labour working hours.

Goldstein’s campaign ended in November 1908 when Victorian (i.e. from the State of Victoria in Australia) women won the right to vote — 14 years after South Australian women became the first in the country to win suffrage.

I had not realised, too that the first ever feature film was made in 1895 by a woman. It’s called ‘The cabbage fairy’, was filmed and produced by Alice Guy Blache and can be viewed on YouTube at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTd7r0VkgnQ

There is so much more to discuss about this year’s week dedicated to women. All I can say is that if it wasn’t for the indefatigable Morena Guarnaschelli and her devoted team Bagni di Lucca would not have been able to rejoice in the pride this event brings to women who are indeed men’s better halves.

 

 

 

 

Without woman’s breath

the blue planet slowly dies

in last touch of suns.