"Sisterhood, Unity, and Community": March 8 at the Patriarchate Museum and the Wall of Dolls

At the Fabbrica del Vapore and on Via De Amicis, events organized for Women's Day: "We want respect, not redemption"

From the workshops at the Museum of the Patriarchate (MUPA) to the Rag Dolls and Jo Squillo in front of the Wall of Dolls, Milan was filled with flowers and initiatives for International Women's Day.

First stop at the Fabbrica del Vapore, which hosts the MUPA until March 21, on the initiative of ActionAid Italia. "I was a child bride, but my daughter will not be." This is one of the dozens of phrases written on postcards from around the world and displayed in one of the rooms. It was written by Shopmila, a 14-year-old girl from Bangladesh, who draws herself as an adult, imagining a conversation with her future daughter. "The museum was created to tell a story of experiences, even disturbing ones, so that they can spark a debate," explains Katia Scannavini, co-secretary general of ActionAid Italia. "For the first time, we are also addressing the issue of gender inequality in sport, on the occasion of Milano Cortina 2026." Among the most eye-catching installations is one composed of three mannequins: a woman talking on the phone while cleaning and caring for her child; a little further away, the father sitting with three empty beer bottles. "See?" a mother says to her daughter, pointing to the mannequins. "Here they show how it's often taken for granted that mom has to do everything." There's no shortage of exhibits on the themes of revenge porn, wage inequality, and feminicide: the exhibition closes with a red dress with a phrase too often addressed to victims: "It's your fault."

And while Mupa opened its doors for the first time in Milan, the Wall of Dolls attracted dozens of people with a DJ set by Jo Squillo in the afternoon. "We need respect, not redemption! World, where are you going without women?" she shouts into the microphone. As the music gets louder and louder, passing cars honk their horns and people dance in the streets and on balconies. Also performing to the tune of Resta con me are Morgana Blue and Dani Piccirillo, from the Bambole di pezza group who just finished thirteenth at Sanremo. "We were the first all-female band on the Ariston stage, but we won't be the last. "Now that we've taken our space, we won't stop," Piccirillo comments. And speaking of their song, they say: "The message is one of sisterhood, unity, and community." "Patriarchy really exists," Blue then commented, explaining, along with Jo Squillo, "the band's name is a provocation to fight it; we all need to 'dollify' ourselves."

In front of the poster displaying the faces of the victims of femicide in 2025, Moira Cucchi, ambassador for the non-profit organization Wall of Dolls and a survivor of domestic violence, then spoke: "I thank my children who gave me the strength to move forward, and to all of you, if you see violence, don't stay silent: always report it."

Link to the website: https://milano.repubblica.it/c...