SAHARAWI WOMEN´S REPRENTATIVE IN AN IMPORTANT EVENT IN ITALY

At the request of an invitation of the Italian Committee of Solidarity with the Saharawi Peple in Sesto Fiorentino (Florence Provence), Zahra Ramdán, Member of the Executive Board of the National Union of Saharawi Women, has attended yesterday, September 1st, an important event that took place in the mentioned italian town in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Twin-City Agreement between the italian city of Sesto Fiorentino and the saharawi town of Mahbes.The event was chaired by the Vice-President of the Toscana Region, Mr. Federico Gelli, the President of the Province of Florence, Mr. Andrea Barducci, the Mair of Sesto Fiorentino, Mr. Gianni Gianassi, the Reprentative of the Saharawi People in the italian rerion of Toscana, Mr. Dan Hedi and other regional and local authorities.

The Mair of Sesto Fiorentino and the Saharawi Women´s Representative have inaugurated a commerative plaque in occassion of this historical event. The Mair has said among other things: "We have adopted this inniciative of hanging this commerative plaque in the entrance of our institution for expressing our total solidarity and friendship with the saharawi people and for reaffirming our conviction in our principles of respect of human rights and freedom and justice".

When the Saharawi Women´s Reprentative took the floor, she said: "On behalf of the Saharawi People I would like to express our deepest thanks for the continous support to the just struggle of the people of Western Sahara and the great actions of solidarity and friendship made by the Municipality and the people of Sesto Fiorentino with my people whom never can forget the support and solidarity from the beginning of the struggle for self-determination and independence. We express our deep gratitude and reaffirm to you our strong determination in continuing struggling for the respect of our legitimate rights for freedom and independence".

Mrs. Ramdan also said that the saharawi women play an important role in the struggle of the saharawi people for selfdetermination, for the right to decide on the future of their home country. Women played a vital role in the saharawi refugee camps and also in the occupied zones of Western Sahara. They have broken with the western stereotypes about the arab and muslim women. Sahara Women are really an example of emancipation and the struggle for equal rights between women and men. With this symbolic event we reaffirm to the world that they must support the struggle of the saharawi people for peace and justice.