EuroparlTV went to Italy to see how the EP is awarding the promotion of positive images of women that reflect reality rather than portray them as sex objects.

Close to you: A prize for positive images of women

Is it possible to promote  a positive image of women

that reflects the real lives  of girls, mothers, working women,

rather than a stereotypical model  of a sex object?

This is the challenge facing  the European Parliament Office in Rome.

The 'Immagini Amiche' prize  is in its second season.

It aims to encourage people working  in advertising, television and journalism

The difference from other countries isn't  so much the number of negative images

but the fact that there is a significant lack  of positive images to balance this out,

and so I believe that our prize  will have a positive impact.

Many Italian TV shows feature scantily  clad women playing an ornamental role

and advertising often resorts  to beautiful women without many clothes

We went to Milan  to meet one of last year's winners.

The Leo Burnett agency  won an 'Immagini Amiche' prize in 2010

for a TV ad for a well-known Italian cheese.

of the beautiful woman  without many clothes on.

In this case she's stronger,  more intelligent, more astute

We work with many brands and products  and never use women... We try not to.

Do you manage to work like this  with all your Italian clients?

Telecommunications...  we're not dealing with this right now

but it's definitely more exposed to this  because it's a very difficult battle.

The creative director of Leo Burnett  shows us the agency's Aladdin's cave.

This is where the models  shown to clients are made.

On to television,  and in the drama category

the 'Immagini Amiche' prize  went to the series 'Un Posto al Sole'.

it presents stories of family life,  love and hate in Naples.

I explained  that we're not a drop-in centre.

Leave it to me.  -Are you in charge here?

I'm the director of this foundation.  Who are you?

In Rome we met Marina Tagliaferri,  one of the actresses on the show.

Why has 'Un Posto al Sole'  been so successful?

I think it creates a positive image  because it aims to be real,

When I see pictures of models  who are obviously anorexic...

People shouldn't be allowed  to send out this message.

It's criminal to send out subliminal  messages promoting anorexia.

The 2012 season of the 'Immagini Amiche'  prize begins this afternoon.

A new category is being introduced,  work on the internet.

The prizes will be awarded on March 2nd.

There should perhaps be a lot more women

devising and inventing  new television programmes.

In the future we will definitely need  educational television programmes,

and especially programmes  that portray women as they really are.

Two forthcoming events organised by  the European Parliament Office in Rome:

a seminar on economic governance  and communication in the EU

then on the 9th the presentation  of Giovanni Moro's book,

'The Currency of Discontent',  about citizens' perception of the euro.

of the European Parliament Office  in Rome.