(Minghui.org) Stories of Outstanding Italian Women was held in the Senate House in Rome, Italy, on March 21, 2025. Dr. Katerina Angelakopoulou, President of the Italian Falun Dafa Association, was awarded Excellent Woman.

Dr. Katerina Angelakopoulou (left), President of the Italian Falun Dafa Association, accepts the Excellent Woman award from Senator Cinzia Pellegrino (right).

Stories of Outstanding Italian Women was held in the Senate House in Rome, Italy, on March 21, 2025.

The event was organized by Fratelli d’Italia senator Cinzia Pellegrino, who believes it’s good to praise and reward female talent.

Senator Pellegrino said at the meeting, “We want to overturn the narrative that portrays women as victims of suffering and discrimination, because there are so many outstanding people in Italy who deserve to be mentioned. They are models of courage, ability, and success. It is time to make room for these stories and recognize their value in daily life. These women are both important and ordinary. Each of them has a success story to tell. They often serve others and benefit society in their daily lives. We need a cultural change, starting with the representation of women in the media, institutions, and the workplace. We must showcase and praise those who achieve equality with their commitment every day.”

Senator Pellegrino, who is also a member of the Special Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, said, “I want to emphasize how precious and important your commitment is. This cannot be taken for granted. You protect the human rights of religious minorities. They [Falun Gong practitioners] are persecuted by the Chinese regime only because they are pioneers of the principles of freedom and autonomy. The Falun Gong practice group is altruistic, loving, and community-based. There is no need to convert, and remember that everyone has the right to protect their own body and free thought.”

Stop the Persecution of Falun Dafa Practitioners in China

Dr. Katerina Angelakopoulou was invited to speak at the evening event. She spoke about her commitment to human rights, which for her is consistent with upholding medical ethics.

In her speech, she said, “I learned about the persecution of Falun Gong [Falun Dafa] in China when I was in medical school. Since then, first as a student and then as a doctor, I have dedicated my life to stopping this persecution and protecting life. The medical community should not accept this crime. For us, an organ transplant for a patient in China may very well mean that a Falun Dafa practitioner will be killed and become an organ donor.”

Another doctor present that night, cardiologist and university researcher Dr. Bich Lien Nguyen, expressed her solidarity with the victims of the persecution Dr. Angelakopoulou mentioned. She said, “These [persecuting Falun Dafa] are cruel things that we who live in democratic societies and defend personal freedom at all costs cannot imagine. Therefore, I absolutely support everyone’s call: these atrocities should not happen anywhere in the world.”

Regarding the fact that the Falun Gong group was persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party mentioned by Dr. Angelakopoulou, Dr. Vienna Eleuteri, anthropologist, sustainable development scientist, vice president and founder of the Water Revolution Foundation, and also awarded the title of Excellent Woman, said, “I knew that such horrible things existed in the world; I didn’t know about this persecution before, stopping the persecution is an international joint effort, and a lot of efforts must be made for it.”

She said, “From an anthropological perspective, the subject of human rights is very important, and not just a theory: I believe that this subject really needs to be rethought so that human rights can truly become human rights for all.”