President Giorgio Napolitano celebrated women's day by urging Italian girls to empower themselves and strive to meet their goals.
"The women of tomorrow represent a source of hope and right now, that's what our country needs," the president told a group of young women during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Rome.
"Those of you who are soon to become adults, be ready to demand the respect and dignity you deserve as women in every circumstance of your lives".
Napolitano also called attention to the plight of women who face hardship and prejudice in developing countries.
"When we think about the condition of women in Italy, we cannot forget the suffering and sacrifice that women face in many other parts of the world". In particular, Napolitano pointed to such "brutal forms of discrimination" as selective abortions and infanticide.
"I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the organizations working to put a stop to these horrible practices which deny the weakest and most vulnerable the very right to life". He said that "millions of baby girls" had been deprived of their right to life while countless others endured chronic malnutrition, were denied an education and subjected to all manner of physical abuse from beatings to genital mutilation.
The difficult conditions facing immigrant women was the main theme addressed by Equal Opportunity Minister Mara Carfagna, who observed that the Italian women of tomorrow would likely look much different than they do today.
"When I close my eyes and think about what Italian women will look like tomorrow, I see women with dark skin and almond-shaped eyes," she said.
Carfagna noted, however, that immigrants still lived largely on the margins of society, a condition which had to be corrected before they can assert their rights as citizens of a free society.
"Think about the downtrodden women, the victims of arranged marriages and genital mutilation, who live isolated from the world because they don't know their rights," she said.
"Our nation does not tolerate those who use their own customs and traditions as an excuse to abuse women," she said.
"We live in a state that defends the inalienable rights of girls and women and everyone, especially immigrants, needs to know that".
Carfagna concluded by appealing to all Italians to "launch their own little battles" against both racial and sexual discrimination as a "first step towards creating a culture of mutual respect". Youth Minister Giorgia Meloni meanwhile urged young Italian women not to give up their career goals in the face of motherhood.
"Lead the lives that you want, strive to reach your dreams and never turn your backs on love or family," she said.
Meloni also extolled on the bravery of "everyday women able to raise their children, help their parents, be good wives and lead fulfilling careers".

STUDIES PAINT GLOOMY PICUTRE FOR ITALIAN CAREER WOMEN.
Despite the enthusiasm for gains made by Italian women over the past decades, a pair of studies released on Monday showed them still struggling to get ahead in the workplace.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reported Monday that Italy had the third-worst rate of female employment in the 30-nation group Greece, Italy, Mexico and Turkey all have a less than 50% percentage compared to more than 70% in Scandinavia and 80% in top country Iceland, the OECD said. Only Mexico and Turkey's percentages are lower than Italy's, it said. A separate report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) showed Italy ranked Italy 72nd out of 134 countries for gender equality in major corporations, between Vietnam in 71st place and Tanzania in 73rd.
Italy's ranking this year marked a six-place slide from 2008, making it the third lowest-ranked country in the European Union ahead of Greece in 86th place and Malta in 89th. Its poor showing came despite a comparably high percentage of Italian women CEOs, who account for 11% of the country's top business leaders compared to a world average of 5%. In that respect, Italy came just behind Finland at 12% and Norway at 13%, who ranked second and third over all.
International Women's Day on March 8 is observed in over 60 countries worldwide as a celebration of women's cultural, political, economic and social achievements. Photo: The mimosa is the symbol of women's day.