The Istanbul Convention defines violence against women as: “a human rights violation and a form of discrimination against women, encompassing all acts of gender-based violence that result in, or are likely to result in, physical, sexual, psychological, or economic harm or suffering.”

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we wish to highlight the University of Genoa’s ongoing commitment to tackling, preventing, and raising awareness about all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination.

In recent years, UniGe has spearheaded numerous awareness initiatives, including the campagna #finiscequi, the linee guida per l'utilizzo di un linguaggio inclusivo, the About gender podcast and a series of participatory workshops across various degree programmes. The latest workshop series is currently concluding at the Department of Architecture and Design, where students are developing new communication campaigns aimed at young people. Furthermore, dedicated in-person training workshops have been conducted for the entire academic community to help identify and combat violent behaviours within the university environment.

On the educational front, UniGe offers a specific course titled Violenza di genere e tutela dei diritti fondamentali, alongside several other courses addressing gender topics from multidisciplinary perspectives. For years, through a well-established collaboration with local anti-violence centres (CAVs), dedicated practical workshops have been offered to students preparing for careers in these sectors.

 In terms of research, two UniGe PRIN projects on these subjects brought a national conference to Genoa entitled "La ricerca universitaria sulla violenza di genere. Un confronto nazionale" featuring nationally and internationally renowned scholars. Additionally, over the past two editions of BookPride, the UniGe Press (GUP) space dedicated its book presentations and panel debates specifically to this theme.

Finally, we would like to emphasize the vital support services provided by UniGe:

• Confidential Counsellor (Consulente di fiducia): An impartial authority appointed to prevent, manage, and help resolve cases of bullying (mobbing) and harassment in the university study or work environment, brought forward by any member of the academic community. The Confidential Counsellor for the University of Genoa is attorney Federica Riccò.
  Consulente di fiducia UniGe
• Support Desk (Punto di ascolto): A confidential space offering individual sessions with a psychologist to provide listening, support, and guidance to anyone who has experienced, perpetrated, or witnessed acts of violence. It offers initial guidance and basic information on legal options, appropriate channels for reporting to competent authorities and internal university bodies, and connections to local support networks (such as anti-violence centres and perpetrator intervention programmes).
  Punto di ascolto UniGe