25 November, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The University of Trento promotes a series of events to raise awareness and provide information on violence against women.
After the entertaining lecture on gender-neutral language last week, the next initiatives will focus on violence on the workplace and on fighting gender bias.
On Tuesday, 19 November, a conference on workplace harassment and violence was held at the Sociology department with Giorgio Gosetti and Marco Carradore of the University of Verona.
On Wednesday, 20 November, freelance journalist Stefania Prandi was welcomed by the department for the lecture on labor exploitation and sexual harassment ("Oro rosso. Fragole, pomodori, molestie e sfruttamento nel Mediterraneo"), for the seminar series "Il lavoro nella società contemporanea tra continuità e mutamenti".
On Wednesday, 27 November (at 4 pm), the conference "Donne e violenza nel contesto mafioso. La storia di Lea Garofalo" will take place at the Law Building as part of the events organized by the University of Trento with 'Associazione Libera nomi e numeri contro le mafie', with collaboration from the Faculty of Law. Vincenza Rando, lawyer and vice president of Libera, will be one of the speakers.
The exhibition "Oltre(passare) le mura: siamo pari", by Tavolo Generazioni Consapevoli, Kaleidoscopio S.C.S. and the Youth policies office of the City of Trento, will open on the same day, Wednesday 27 November, at 6 pm at the Sociology Building. A journey through time to meet pioneer women, authors of many discoveries and inventions, who challenged prejudice and social conventions to fight for equality. Stories of daily resistance to remember that rights have no gender.
The event includes a video screening, a short theatre performance and a reception. The exhibition will be open from 27 November to 9 December and will then move to Palazzo Piomarta in Rovereto, home to the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science (Corso Bettini, 84), from 10 December to 20 December 2019. It will be open during the department's opening hours.
The University of Trento also supports the WIRun Trento, a 5 km non-competitive run – or walk – that took place through the streets of Trento on 24 November starting at 10 am at Parco delle Albere.
The commitment of the University to stop violence against women does not end on this international celebration. The University promotes "Posto occupato", a permanent campaign to raise awareness on violence against women. Before a husband, a former boyfriend, a lover or a stranger decided to put an end to their lives, those women would have taken seats in theatres, on buses, in schools, on the train, in society.
Empty chairs with a sign that reads "This seat is taken", symbolically reserved for women who have been victims of violence, have been placed in University departments and centres to encourage reflection on the issue.
©photo slideshow: Giovanni Cavulli for UniTrento.