WOMEN AND VIOLENCE: THE MUNICIPALITY TAKES ACTION
ANNAMARIA PALMIERI
———————————————————————————–
CC
Dear Director, In response to Laura Capobianco's March 5th comment on these pages, I feel compelled, as the city councilor for schools, to recall, albeit briefly, some of the work the department has undertaken to combat gender-based violence, prevent all forms of homophobia and transphobia, and promote healthy and responsible emotional education. I want to do so, first and foremost, to give due weight to the work teachers are doing every day on these issues, and secondly, because I believe it is right to emphasize the interest and attention that not only my department but the entire administration has shown to these issues over the past two years. This work, moreover, has been accomplished through networking with many local stakeholders and organizations, working in a climate of collaboration and mutual respect.
Since the 2011-2012 school year, a collaboration between the City of Naples and the "Se Non Ora Quando" committee has led to a wonderful project and competition, "A Different Language for Different Advertising." This project, conducted with numerous school groups, has prompted them to reflect on harmful advertising, one of the forms of subtle violence that most undermines women's dignity. Approximately 20 schools of all levels were involved, resulting in beautiful products: advertising posters that represented a different way of relating to women's bodies. The 50 students' works were exhibited at the "La Città del Sole" center and subsequently at the PAN.
Since March 8th, a project has been underway to move beyond the idea of one-off celebrations and instead promote a method in schools that focuses on ongoing curricular programs, based on reading books, meetings with experts, and workshops. This year, the project is bearing fruit, with particularly interesting moments developing in which the topic of gender violence is addressed, particularly among male students, who are involved in the workshops and numerous activities.
The Department was involved and actively participated in the project "Hermes: Linking Network to Fight Sexual and Gender Stigma." This two-year project, approved and funded by the European Community under the Daphne III program, was conceived and proposed by the Department of Theories and Methods of Human and Social Sciences at Federico II University, in collaboration with the Complutense University of Madrid, University College Dublin School of Social Justice, and the associations Le Kassandre, Arcigay Napoli Antinoo, and Agedo Palermo. The project began in May 2011 with the aim of developing, implementing, and promoting prevention and support strategies for victims of sexual and gender discrimination. The project's final conference, to be held in Naples on April 12 and 13, will present guidelines and policy proposals that will enable the Administration to update and implement strategies for preventing and combating gender-based violence and discrimination.
I realize that what I've tried to share are only small things, but I believe they represent concrete "good signs" of a reversal of the trend. These, combined with the many initiatives of the Department of Equal Opportunities and the administration in general, indicate a desire to move beyond the celebratory and occasional vision that Capobianco herself denounces and which, even with her contribution and all the other experiences of the women's movement, we must definitively abandon.