Designed To Make A Difference: Molteni Unveils A Special Sofa To Spotlight Female Empowerment

To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a creative new collaboration has been revealed by the Italian Embassy in Qatar and Italian design firm Molteni

Today marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Globally, almost one in three women have been subjected to physical and/or intimate partner violence, non-partner violence, or both, at least once in their life.

The statistics speak for themselves. According to UN Women, an estimated 736 million women globally have experienced physical and/or intimate violence. Girls are at particular risk – 1 in 4 adolescent girls is abused by their partners. Additionally, 16 per cent to 58 per cent of women globally experience technology-facilitated gender-based violence with Generation Z and Millennials at the most risk. Elsewhere, women living through conflict, war, and humanitarian crisis are some of the worst affected, with 70 per cent experiencing gender-based violence.

To mark the occasion and shine a spotlight on the work that still needs to be done to protect women globally, the Italian Embassy in Doha has revealed a special collaboration with leading Italian design firm Molteni – creating a red sofa that serves as a symbolic invitation to reflect on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This initiative underscores the importance of a collective effort involving institutions, culture, design, fashion, and contemporary art to raise awareness on this issue.

“The key elements against gender violence are prevention and education on emotional intelligence,” says filmmaker and wife of the Italian Ambassador Federica Cellini, who has been fundamental in bringing the project to life. “Empowering women through education, economic independence, and self-confidence reduces their vulnerability.”

Shot against the backdrop of Doha’s skyline, the red sofa will continue to be a powerful symbol of female empowerment going forward, with a series of conversations featuring leading women’s voices from across the region currently being explored.

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