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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