FEAUTURES Religions come together to fight against gender-based violence

By Pagine Ebraiche staff*

Jews, Catholics and Muslims in Italy are coming together to strengthen a shared commitment against prejudice, discrimination and gender-based violence, in particular the one against teenage girls, considering the role they will assume in the society in the future.

This is the challenge of the project “Not in my name. Ebrei, Cattolici e Musulmani in campo contro la violenza sulle Donne” (“Not in my name. Jews, Catholics and Muslims against violence on women”), product of the collaboration between the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI), the Italian Islamic Religious Community (Coreis), and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum under the patronage of the Equal Opportunities Department of the Prime Minister’s Office who provided funding for its implementation.

The initiative is characterized by a concrete intervention plan aimed at the new generations through the schools’ involvement, and will be presented on Tuesday September 24 at 3:00 pm at the seat of the Ministry of Education, University and Research (Viale Trastevere, 76/A). Livia Ottolenghi, assessor for School, Education and Youth of UCEI, will introduce the project, followed by the institutional salutes of Noemi Di Segni, UCEI President, and the members of the Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office.

The presentation will be divided into three parts. The question “Why are the religions taking action?” will be answered by rav Roberto Della Rocca, director of the UCEI Education and Culture Area, Marta Rodriguez of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Aisha Lazzerini, coordinator of the scientific committee of the Italian Islamic Religious Community, and Chiara Ferrero, president of the Interreligious Studies Academy.

The proposal for the school year 2019/20 will be outlined by Raffaella Di Castro (UCEI), Marta Rodriguez (Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum), Martino Roma (Coreis) and Betti Guetta (Center of Contemporary Jewish Documentation).

The presentation will end with a roundtable on “Prejudice, discrimination and gender-based violence: thoughts and open challenges”, introduced and moderated by Luisa Betti Dakli, journalist and expert in human rights. Paola Cavallari, head of the Interreligious Observatory on violence against women, Teresa Dattilo, psychotherapist and president of the association Donna e Politiche Familiare (Women and Family Policies), Maddalena Del Re, lawyer, and Claudia Villante, researcher of the Italian National Institute of Statistics, will also make a contribution.

Translated by Sara Volpe, student at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of Trieste University, intern at the newspaper office of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities.