On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on 25th November, the Equal Opportunities Committee (CUG) of the University of Trieste is promoting a Focus Week to involve the university community and citizenship, with the aim of investigating the phenomenon from different perspectives and offering tools to know, train and inform.

According to the data of the Department of Public Security of the Ministry of the Interior in the first half of 2024, out of the total number of murders, 65% of the victims are men, but focusing the analysis on murders occurring in the family/relational sphere, the figure is reversed, since 65% of the victims are women; of these, 85% are at the hands of their partner or ex-partner.

The invitation to all women is not to underestimate any sign of psychological, economic or physical violence of which they are victims and to ask for help to get out of the condition of isolation and subjection in which they find themselves.

The young and very young are unfortunately involved in this phenomenon: the age of those who commit violence is low and a dramatic example of this is the case of group sexual violence, in which, in 2023, 65% of the alleged perpetrators were under 35 years of age: of these, about 25% were minors (14-17 years old), while a further 50% were in the still young 18-24 age bracket.

The Know, Train and Inform to Eliminate Violence Against Women Focus Week therefore intends to address young people such as university students at an early stage. Professors and lecturers from the University of Trieste's departments will explore themes such as violence against women, stereotypes, and inequalities during seminars. Once again this year, they will host the Seat Taken (Posto Occupato) initiative in UniTS classrooms, reaffirming the University's commitment to this cause.

‘Seat Taken’ symbolizes the remembrance of women who were victims of violence. Through the symbolic occupation of seats in lecture halls, it honours the memory of women who, before being killed by a husband, ex-partner, or lover, once occupied a seat in theatres, on trams, in schools, universities, and throughout society.

The Equal Opportunities Committee of the University of Trieste also promotes, in cooperation with other bodies and institutions in the area, a calendar of awareness-raising initiatives aimed at citizens, including

Stopping violence against women. Slovenia and Italy: comparing experiences

25th November 2024 at 11:00, Androna Baciocchi, Room B.

Speakers: 

Anna Campanile, VoceDonna Anti-Violence Centre, Pordenone, 

Delfina Di Stefano, Trieste Police Headquarters, 

Natalina Folla, University of Trieste, 

Jasna Podreka, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Patrizia Romito, University of Trieste

What ‘genre’ of violence?

27th November 2024 at 10:00, Bachelet Room, Building A, Piazzale Europa Campus.

Informative meeting for the student body organised in collaboration with the Student Council of the University of Trieste. 

Speakers:

Imma Tromba, President of the GOAP Anti-Violence Centre of Trieste

Francesca Pidone, counsellor at the University of Trieste. 

Introduced and coordinated by Maria Dolores Ferrara, President of the Equal Opportunities Committee of the University of Trieste

For information on how to participate in the scheduled activities, please write to presidenza.comitato.garanzia@units.it 

The University of Trieste, in order to express its solidarity with women victims of violence and to testify its commitment to raising awareness among young people and citizens on these issues, will illuminate the façade of Building A in red on Monday 25th November.

FULL PROGRAMME OF INITIATIVES