Italian universities launch initiatives to combat gender-based violence

Italian universities are launching initiatives to combat gender-based violence and femicide through education and awareness.

In Catanzaro, Don Roberto Corapi and a university team from the Diocese of Catanzaro-Squillace will host a conference in October titled ‘Non chiamatelo amore’ (Don’t call it love). The project aims to use academic and institutional collaboration to educate young people on the distinction between respect and controlling behaviors, urging society to recognize signs of violence and report them before they escalate.

Similarly, the University of Florence is conducting its second edition of a course dedicated to gender violence, running from September 28 to November 25. The interdisciplinary program covers the cultural roots of violence, psychological and legal aspects, stalking, economic violence, and digital violence. Rector Alessandra Petrucci emphasized that universities have a responsibility to provide the community with tools to recognize risk and act effectively.