Minerva Prize to the Frederician Santa Parrello

Santa Parrello, professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Department of Humanistic Studies at the University of Frederick - was awarded the "Minerva Anna Maria Mammoliti" Prize, given annually to "Women who work in the fields of Knowledge and who, symbolically, represent exemplary female role models for their professional skills and the positive values they carry." The Prize - under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies - was awarded to her for her "social commitment" related to her third mission activity: the professor, in fact, has been engaged since 2010 in the design and implementation of interventions to combat school dropout and social marginality in the suburbs, alongside the non-profit Association Maestri di Strada. Santa Parrello commented, "Although my social commitment is rewarded on a daily basis by the stories of girls and boys who come back to believe in themselves and by the passion of so many educators who resist discouragement, this unexpected Award nevertheless has great value for me: not only because it is 'prestigious,' but because it can testify to our young people that every small, often silent contribution to the construction of a more just society deserves to be rewarded."

The Minerva Prize was conceived in 1983 by Anna Maria Mammoliti, a sociologist, journalist and publisher who was an activist for women's rights and equal opportunities. Her many civic and cultural initiatives were inspired by the principle that "women who 'made it' can set an example and reach out to lift up the less fortunate." Each year a jury of various personalities from the world of Wisdom, Arts and Crafts chooses women to be honored for entrepreneurship, leadership, science, politics, social engagement, film, literature, and the professions, and gives a single award to a male personality.

In this XXXII edition, the following were awarded: Paola Inverardi in the section "Women for Stem" (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics), Serena Dandini (Journalism), Federica Galloni (Innovation), Ornella Guglielmino (Management), Maria Clara Mussa (War Journalism), Clara Nervi (Health), Santa Parrello (Social Commitment), Lisa Romano (Culture), Sara Romano (Environmental Sustainability), Antonella Maria Sciarrone Alibrandi (Economy), Serra Yilmaz and Luisa Ranieri (Arts), and for the "Women in the World" section, Iranian Elaheh Tavakoliyan. The award dedicated to a man went to Eugenio Raimondo (Medicine).

Among the hundreds of awardees in previous editions: Simone Veil, first woman president of the European Parliament; Nilde Iotti, first woman president of the Italian Parliament; astrophysicist Margherita Hack; Morocco's Minister of the Family Nouzha Skalli; film director Liliana Cavani; athlete Sara Simeoni; writers Camilla Cederna and Elsa Morante; actress Monica Vitti; magistrate then president of the Milan Court Livia Pomodoro, Iraqi parliamentarian Safia Al Souhail, Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni, Yemeni poet and human rights activist Arwa Othman, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, Afghan parliamentarian Fawzia Koofi, Tunisian human rights activist Khadija Cherif, Iranian Vice President Mahoumeh Ebtekar, Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. For the human rights award, among others, Umberto Veronesi was honored in 1983, Sandro Pertini in 1985.