'La Festa della Donna' has long been a marked occasion in Italy. It was first noted in 1922, but really rose in prominence in the post-war era among anti-Fascist circles.
Today in Italy, March 8th is both a celebration of women's achievements and a reminder of the change that's still needed to achieve equality.
Activism – protest and strike
International Women's Day provides an annual opportunity to reflect on societal ills that affect women and girls.
To draw attention to the women's rights movement, a national strike has been called for and backed by trade unions and rights organization Non Una di Meno.
The organization has called for protests and demonstrations on Sunday, March 8th, and a sciopero (strike) on Monday, March 9th.
READ ALSO: 10 inspiring Italian women you should know about
'Rosamimosa' women's run in Florence
Now in its 39th year, the oldest women’s running competition in Italy takes place once again this year on Saturday, March 7th beginning at 2pm.
The Rosamimosa race through Florence aims to raise awareness about violence against women.
There will be a 8 kilometre competitive run and a 5 kilometre leisure walk, the latter of which is also open to men for the first time. Kids are welcome to participate in track races.
Free state museum entry for women
Italy's Ministry of Culture is once again offering free entry to national museums and other cultural sites for women across the country.
Many museums are also highlighting women artists in their collections or hosting special events, such as a guided tour of the Pantheon focused on prominent women in its history.
You can see a list of events taking place in your part of the country by searching for your region on the drop-down menu on the culture ministry's website.
READ ALSO: Women to get free entry to dozens of Italian museums on International Women's Day
Symbolic flowers
In Italy, it's tradition for men to hand out mimosa flowers to the women in their lives. The yellow flower has been the symbol of March 8th since 1946, and was chosen partly because it is one of the few flowers in bloom in early March (and also because of its cheery colour.)
Most pasticcerie also fill their shop windows with desserts decorated with sprigs of mimosa around this time.
The most typical dessert, the mimosa cake (torta mimosa), originated in the 1950s in the town of Rieti, Lazio. It's made of sponge cake cut into small pieces to resemble the shape and colour of mimosa flowers and filled with cream.
Support for women in Italy
There are a variety of organizations across Italy that are able to help those experiencing domestic violence or gender-based violence.
Di.Re – Donne in Rete contro la Violenza is a national network of anti-violence centres for women, providing emergency safe houses, legal and psychological counselling, and more. You can find a Di.Re centre in your region on this webpage.
The Italian anti-violence and anti-stalking helpline 1522 is free, anonymous and available 24-hours. The hotline can be reached by telephone or via chat on the 1522.eu website or their app. Support is available in a variety of languages.
You can find a more comprehensive list of free resources here.
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