Violence, Belluno Donna sounds the alarm: “We have a request for help every two days”

The Festa de L’Unità di Pus served to take stock of a widespread phenomenon also in the Belluno area. The association asks municipalities for help: an agreement has been signed with twenty municipalities

BRIDGE IN THE ALPS. Violence against women, a serious problem also in the province of Belluno. Everything concerning this phenomenon was discussed yesterday at the Festa de L’Unità organized in Pus by the Circle of the Democratic Party of Ponte nelle Alpi – Soverzene.

A moment of confrontation, promoted by Democratic Women, with Belluno-Donna and “Non una di less”, to take stock of the situation in the area. «The 2022 report of the World Economic Forum», introduced Lucia Saviane, provincial spokesperson for Democratic Women, «says it will take 132 years to achieve gender equality in the world. In the global ranking, Italy is still in sixty-third position, with no improvements compared to 2021 ».

Furthermore, the fall of the Draghi government interrupted the process of some reforms – in the field of sexual violence and gender balance in public offices – which would have helped to tackle the gender gap. “Finally,” said Saviane, “last July 27, by secret vote, the right rejected the amendment that would have introduced gender equality in official language into the Senate regulation.”

In short, there is a lot of work to be done. In the province of Belluno, to give an answer to women victims of violence, the Belluno-Donna anti-violence center is active. “It is not about gender violence, but, as established by the Istanbul Convention, about male violence against women”, highlighted the vice president Ida Bortoluzzi, before reporting some data: “Since 2004 we have welcomed 1325 women, 138 only in 2021 Violence does not materialize in an episode, but in an escalation that goes from psychological violence to femicide, passing through physical and economic violence, and violence witnessed by minors who must then be protected “.

Regarding 2022, there are still no official data, but the trend remains worrying: “We receive on average a phone call every two days,” says Bortoluzzi; “Psychological, physical, economic, sexual and stalking violence are reported, as in 2021”.

The confirmation of a trend that shows no sign of reversing the course. To help and support these women, Belluno-Donna has over the years expanded the area of ​​intervention to offer increasingly effective responses. Over time, those of Belluno, Feltre and Sedico have been added to the first branch in Ponte nelle Alpi, plus those dedicated to work and migrant women, refugees and asylum seekers.

In addition, Bortoluzzi completes, «for some years we have been working to obtain help from the mayors of the Belluno municipalities that will allow us to build an economic base. 20 have joined ». Other contributions useful to finance activities and services come from calls, 5 x thousand, donations from citizens. «Everything that comes in terms of financial support», Bortoluzzi explains, «we need to support women on their journeys to pay rent, a license renewal, an electricity bill, the children’s school materials». By joining them, sharing a way out of violence.

For the movement “Not one less”, Lina Beltrame recounted the projects born in recent years. Two in particular. The first is called “A woman, a street”: the request to all the mayors of the province to name a street for women from Belluno who have contributed to improving society. The second, a campaign on language, to invite women “mayor, councilor, lawyer, commissioner” to be called female: a question of language and culture. This is certainly not a secondary problem: gender inequality is also settling in language.