”Over the years, I have had the chance and opportunity to work on several key initiatives for the Monaco Red Cross, which is a small National Society, given the size of our country, and where everyone is called upon to contribute to its action. It is the great wealth of our National Society to be able to count on each of its volunteers and to call on them to take part in its actions. In recent years, for example, the Monaco Red Cross has been very active in emergency projects to help victims of natural disasters in the neighboring country, which was hit by storm Alex. We have also worked on assistance for migratory movements in the Italian region, as well as on COVID projects in the Principality of Monaco. Each Red Cross project has, time and time again, added to my perspective of being involved with those affected, and reinforced my commitment to social and humanitarian work through my presence, my participation in local events, my travels and the help I was able to provide.

Personally, as a lawyer by training as well as a chartered accountant and auditor, I put my skills at the service of the Monaco Red Cross as Treasurer General, which I believe is an asset for the management of our Association. Conversely, over the years, my voluntary experience with the National Society has given a new and enriching perspective to my professional profile, giving my financial duties a much more human side.

Working with the Monaco Red Cross has had a deep effect on me. It has enabled me to fully understand and appreciate the complexity and scale of the social and humanitarian challenges we face, and offered me innumerable satisfaction and joy of helping others. It has also strengthened my empathy, my respect for the work of others, the richness of our differences, and my own interpersonal skills.

I have learned that it takes a mixture of courage, compassion and resilience to work in the humanitarian sector, particularly through the work of our teams in the field, whether they be nurses, rescue workers, members of the international humanitarian section travelling abroad, or social services. Over time, I came to feel that, in all our actions the female perspective was often essential, and that it brought an extra dimension to our teams. The main challenges for women are those found in all fields, i.e. professional, cultural and institutional. Gender bias, inequality of opportunity, the absence of women role models in leadership positions; the secondary influence they are chosen to have, compared to a man's action or opinion, which is considered predominant. To change things, we need to continually promote equal opportunities at all levels, facilitate access to training and mentoring for women, and value and celebrate women's contributions.

However, it is essential to point out that these biases against which women are fighting are not to be found in the Monaco Red Cross, where more than a majority of the Board of Directors is made up of women, unlike in many countries where women's equality is a daily struggle to ensure that the principles enshrined in our statutes and values are respected.

To bring about change, it is necessary to continuously promote equal opportunities at all levels, facilitate access to education and mentorship for women, and recognize and celebrate women's contributions. I dream of a world where gender would no longer be an obstacle to professional fulfillment and contributing to the well-being of the community, a world in which when discussing human rights, women's rights are included without limitations.