Influencer with 1.9 million followers, host, model, author. Carrier in Montecitorio of the message against violence against women; the protagonist of a television monologue (on the program “Le Iene”) in Farsi – his mother’s language – in defense of the rights of Iranian women. Born to an Italian father and a Tehran mother, Giulia Salemi (Piacenza, 1993) has many faces and will talk about herself at Tempo delle Donne. Will we risk our lives for freedom?, in a conversation with Milanese partisan Sandra Gilardelli. And who we asked in this interview to talk about brave women. And about the dreams and struggles that today belong to thirty-somethings like her.
What makes her feel free?
“Every day I ask myself if I am free and what is the meaning of freedom in 2023. I am the daughter of a woman who fled her country in 1978 at the age of 18 because the Iranian regime did not force her to do so for free. Thus, I am the daughter of a woman who runs away and fights for her freedom, in fact I am the daughter of a partisan. This is freedom with a capital letter, and today, fortunately, we are experiencing less severe examples of the feeling of freedom. We, for example, are not free from social networks, and this freedom of thought often depends on the approval of what we read. I have achieved material freedom through my work (which is in any case constantly unstable), although I have not yet achieved freedom of expression, and it is these studies that go hand in hand with the maturity of a woman.
What are the “forms of resistance” of today’s youth?
“My generation and subsequent generations have fewer ideals to fight for than, for example, the generations of my parents. Today, the ideals that need to be fought for are sectoral, that is, each for his own, but there are common themes (environment, civil rights …) for which we all come together. I have great respect for those who have dedicated their lives to serious activism.” We are losing a generation of historical memory, a generation of partisans. Is comparison with older people important? “Like I said, I consider my mother a supporter of what she went through. She has a thousand other faults, but as a woman she exemplifies. And my grandmother Julie, who was born in Piacenza, is my happy island, where I always find peace thanks to her simple stories. Grandmothers are a historical memory that should be listened to by those who were lucky enough to do this.”
You just turned 30: what kind of woman do you feel today?
“I often still feel like a teenager with a poster in the room of Zac Efron and Britney Spears. But then you grow up, and life tells you: “Hey you, brunette, look, you’re thirty, aren’t you, you’re doing something good?”. And then I look inside and I start to see the woman I wanted to be. I’m a chronically insecure Bridget Jones from Piacenza with a unibrow, today I’m starting to love and love myself for who I am.”
What challenges have you faced as a woman in your career?
“I moved to Milan at 20 with 500 euros, but with pockets full of dreams. Milan is a ruthless city for a provincial girl, and if you do not have a strong character and reliable friends, it is easy to get lost in it. I got a lot of nos and many expectations were dashed, but I never stopped thinking that tomorrow would be better. The world of my work has always been dominated by men, and it is only today that women are starting to have weight and know how to protect themselves with responsibility and professionalism.”
Are there women who inspire you?
“My grandmother is a constant source of inspiration. In my work, I love Alessia Marcuzzi, Michelle Hunziker and the wisdom of Sylvia Toffanin. Three women who, when put together, represent who I would like to be.”
Il Tempo delle Donne 2023: from 8 to 10 at the Milan Triennale
PROGRAM
Do you feel responsible towards the young people who follow you?
“I first felt this responsibility very strongly when I was thirty. I am always looking for things or activities that make me feel useful and good to myself. Every day I come into contact with a certain number of people who share information with me through social networks and with my community, in which I live almost like a second family. I feel a responsibility to be honest and speak my everyday truth. Without truth, nothing is built, because in the end you will catch smart people or opportunists.”
In 2022, he addressed the House of Representatives on Violence Against Women Day. What was his message?
“In the world, the position of women is not the same everywhere. Remember Iran, where even today the situation has not changed. The message is always the same: let’s never lose sight of the problems of seemingly distant countries, because tomorrow we will find these problems at home.”
Meeting
On Saturday, September 9 at 12.30 in the Salon of Honor of the Triennale, he will speak on the topic “Do we put our lives on the line for freedom?” which offers a comparison between 20th century girls and 2000s influencers. Guests include Sandra Gilardelli, partisan, Sabina Fasoli, psychologist, sexologist, Luna Pannin, biologist and (almost) nutritionist. Edited by Jessica Chia and Jacopo Gori.