D.I.Re. Donne In Rete Contro
la Violenza - Italian Network of Women’s Organizations Against
Violence
www.direcontrolaviolenza.it
Fact Sheet
D.I.Re. – namely “Women’s network against
violence”- is the Italian network of women’s organizations combating all forms
of violence against women. It was founded in 2008 and is currently comprising
65 organizations managing women’s shelters and anti-violence support services
throughout Italy. It is D.I.Re. position that violence against
women is the result of unequal power relationships deeply rooted in a male
dominated society, whose main consequence is hindering the advancement of
women’s rights and gender equality. As Gender Based Violence can be effectively
countered by women-focused policies and actions, D.I.Re. has been lobbying to
both raise awareness on violence as a cultural phenomenon as well as on gender
related issues, and mainstream a gender perspective in the national public
policy. Pursuant to this goal,
D.I.Re. has engaged at various levels with the media, civil society,
institutions, policy makers, law enforcement agencies, courts, field
professionals, hence its action covers a wide range of activities such as:
- Supporting women’s organizations,
creating local networks, implementing anti-violence shelters and
supporting services in the lacking areas of the country
- Promoting the acknowledgement and strengthening
of women’s shelters role as the best means to protect and empower women
and children who experienced violence, by drawing on a gender specific
approach to meet their needs
- Conducting awareness raising
activities and initiatives targeting students, youths and the community at
large, to prevent violent behaviours and encourage fair relationships between
women and men by challenging traditional views on gender roles and discriminating attitudes;
- Delivering training activities
targeting law enforcement agencies, social and health workers, law
professionals etc. to ensure that women and children who have been victims
of violence receive quality and adequate services throughout the country
- Monitoring and reporting to the
relevant institutions violations of laws and rules protecting women’s
rights and dignity from gender based discriminations and stereotypes
- Conducting independent researches in
collaboration with universities on the impact of male violence on the
overall life quality and health of women and children affected
- Holding conferences and workshops and launching
media campaigns to ensure the utmost focus on the
phenomenon of violence, its causes and consequences and indicate suitable
means of intervention to guarantee integrated cross-sectoral responses
involving public and private sector actors
- Engaging in consultations with policy-makers to improve
means of protection for women and children survivors of violence and
promote the implementation of laws addressing gender equality at the local
level and comprehensive national anti-violence plans for action
- Promoting the implementation of multi-stakeholder
projects and broad fund-raising initiatives with a national and
international dimension to help women and children exit violence.
With a view to fostering the dissemination of know-how
and best practices to run shelters and women’s aid services in compliance with
international standards and guidelines, D.I.Re. has been cooperating with other prominent
networks of women’s organizations at the European and international level.
D.I.Re. is the Italian focal point of W.A.V.E –Women Against Violence Europe,
the European network comprising more than 4000 women’s NGOs working in the
field of combating violence against women and children in 46 European
countries; it is also a member of the European Women’s Lobby and of the board
of the Global Network of Women’s Shelters (GNWS). As a member of the “30 years CEDAW work in
progress” Italian Platform, D.I.Re. takes part in drafting the shadow
report to be submitted to the CEDAW Committee concerning the application of the
UN CEDAW Convention in Italy.
D.i.Re Donne in
Rete contro la violenza
Casa Internazionale
delle Donne - Via della
Lungara, 19 - 00165 Roma, Italia
Cell +39 3927200580 - Tel +39 06
68892502 – Fax+39 06 3244992
- Email direcontrolaviolenza@women.it
www.direcontrolaviolenza.it