Across Borders, Beyond Limits – Women and Men
Shaping the Future Together
The event was initiated, organised and moderated by Mursal Noorzai, OWWF Bayern, and realised in collaboration with Consul General Sergio Maffettone, Italian Consulate General in Munich.
Message from the initiator:
When women and men build together – across borders, beyond limits – trust grows. Trust becomes the future. Every gesture of listening, every helping hand, whether small or large, makes our life more humane and stronger.
The evening was a space full of warmth, courage and solidarity. Politicians, diplomats, business leaders, civil society – but above all, people – shared experiences and showed that equality and participation are actions, not buzzwords.
Highlights from the contributions
Minister of State Eric Beisswenger
We are crossing borders and gaining new opportunities – across national borders through European and international cooperation, and across borders between people, regardless of gender, origin or culture. Equality between women and men is a task for society as a whole and has constitutional status. We welcome the direction of the planned EU Equality Strategy 2026–2030: Everyone should be able to develop freely and have equal opportunities – beyond traditional role models.
Verena Dietl (3rd Mayor of the City of Munich)
Equality is the basis for cohesion and equal opportunities in Munich – it strengthens democracy, the economy and quality of life. My focus: equal participation in administration and politics, fair pay and career opportunities, work-life balance. We are expanding protection and support structures (including violence prevention) and opening up education, sport and culture to all. Together with civil society, business and associations, we are setting measurable goals – and making progress transparent.
Voices from the panel
Our panellists
Somaia Ramish (poet, writer and human rights activist, Afghanistan)
Chiara Pedersoli (CEO OHB system)
Stefanie Gamperl (PANDA Ambassador; FidAR NextGen; Founder & CEO, Neurodiverse Capital)
Delija Balidemaj (Dipl.-Ing., City Councillor, City of Munich)
Michaela Landgraf (Chair of the Munich Bar Association, Member of the Executive Board of the Bavarian Lawyers' Association)
They linked personal and professional perspectives – from equal education and an early understanding of equality to equal opportunities in the labour market, equal pay and equal participation, to the situation of women in war zones.
Their message was clear:
When women and men build together, trust grows – and trust becomes the future.
