International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2025
All events not to be missed on Tuesday 25 November in Florence
Every year on November 25, the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The date was chosen in 1981 by a group of activists at the Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Meeting in Bogotá, and later officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. The day commemorates the tragic fate of the Mirabal sisters, brutally killed in 1960 in the Dominican Republic while opposing the regime of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Today, the Mirabals are a symbol of courage and female resistance.
To mark this day and raise awareness about gender-based violence, Florence offers a rich calendar of events, ranging from flash mobs to exhibitions, theater performances, and cultural initiatives: here are the highlights not to be missed in the city.
Museums, historic landmarks, and the David illuminated in red
As a symbolic gesture of awareness, Florence’s historic gates and Michelangelo’s David will be lit in red, highlighting the importance of protecting every woman’s life. This initiative is organized by Firenze Smart.
Cultural initiatives include free access for women to several museums:
Museo Novecento presents Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures, the first major retrospective in Italy dedicated to the British artist. Inaugurated symbolically on November 25, the exhibition covers Chadwick’s entire career (1953–1996), from In the Kitchen (1977) to the famous Piss Flowers (1991–92), highlighting her experimental and feminist approach that redefined contemporary sculpture and installation.
Museo dei Medici offers guided tours on November 24 focused on female members of the Medici family, including Maria Luisa de’ Medici.
The National Library of Florence hosts the exhibition “Le donne ritrovate. A Female History in the Customs and Monopoly Agency” until November 29, showcasing women’s contributions to public work in the twentieth century.
Institutional events and flash mobs in Piazza Signoria
On November 25, from 11:00 AM, Piazza Signoria will host the flash mob “One Minute of Noise”, promoted by QN with student participation. The event includes institutional speeches, personal testimonies, and moments of collective reflection. In the morning, at Giardini di Campo di Marte, students from the Compagni-Carducci School, together with street educators, will present the installation “Sorry for the Noise, You’re Killing Us”, a symbolic message honoring women victims of violence.
Exhibitions, theater, and performances
Throughout the day, Florence will host numerous cultural events:
At 3:00 PM, La mia ostetrica APS will present the Listening Desk against obstetric violence.
At 3:30 PM, the theater performance “Anthology of Empty Chairs” will take place at the Biblioteca delle Oblate, curated by La stanza dell’attore.
At 4:30 PM, spoken word poetry performances at the Centro Giovani.
At 6:00 PM, at Casa delle Donne, the awareness campaign “Temporal Anomaly” will be presented, followed by the performance “Quadri di donne 2.0” at Teatro dell’Affratellamento, with proceeds donated to the Artemisia Anti-Violence Center.
At 6:30 PM, at Campus Morgagni D, the monologue “A Woman Alone” by Franca Rame will be performed, in collaboration with the Municipality, Associazione Donne Ganze, and Compagnia Giardini dell’Arte.
University of Florence: culture and awareness
The University of Florence marks the day with over 20 initiatives running until December 9, including lectures, seminars, debates, exhibitions, and performances. The centerpiece will be the “Eleonora Guidi” Graduation Award ceremony, honoring the young femicide victim and open to University of Florence graduates who have completed theses on gender-based violence. The ceremony will be streamed on Unifi’s YouTube channel.
Florence Queer Festival and LGBTQ+ rights awareness
From November 26 to 30, the Florence Queer Festival at Cinema La Compagnia will dedicate its programming to acts of resilience and struggle by the LGBTQIA+ community, highlighting how November 25 can also serve as a broader occasion to raise awareness about the rights and safety of all people.
