“it is not love”: SANT’ANNA school rector and students along with dirpolis institute faculty engage in awareness campaign against gender-based violence launched by the state police
On “Valentine’s Day” the State Police launched a new public awareness campaign on domestic violence prevention encouraging Pisa population and students of higher education institutions Sant’Anna and Normale to get involved in gender-based violence prevention. This campaign was designed to disseminate information, change community perceptions about domestic violence and allow opportunities for the “It Is Not Love” leaflet distribution in Pisa community and across Italy.
The campaign engaging students in Pisa continues to represent community-wide efforts to bring individuals and public officials together to play an active role in the fight against abuse. The leaflet message highlights the prevention component to domestic violence awareness efforts, emphasizing concrete actions that the Police and Government took to tackle stalking (Italian Law 38/2009 on stalking offences addresses all forms of gender-based, domestic violence and femicide), domestic abuse (in 2013, Italian law 119 introduced more severe penalties against persecutory acts and crimes against life and individual safety that are committed in the presence of or against a minor) and to enhance safety of women and children (a new “Red Code Law” aimed at tackling domestic and gender-based violence was passed by the Italian Senate in July 2019).
Using data from crime surveys, police recorded crimes and other crime statistics, this leaflet report also highlighted a case of forced marriage and domestic abuse against young women within the Gypsy community in Pisa (a man was arrested for forcing his daughters into marriage). This report, together with data published on domestic abuse from the police statistics can help to educate young individuals about gender-based violence issues, encourage people to take action to promote social change, encourage victims to come forward to report abuse and inform victims about the support available. In line with stalking legislation, the new Red Code Law introducing more severe penalties, and the multi-actors engagement, we need to implement prevention programs and increase awareness as it is essential to the goal of overcoming gender stereotype. The aim of prevention programs would be to equip women and children to protect themselves while using new appropriate tools. Information is not enough but we can adopt writer Georges Simenon’s detective Maigret literary statements “it is important to do things but it is more important to make sure everyone knows about it.”
In Pisa, female police officers, explained much has been done to improve the response to domestic abuse. This ‘It is not love’ campaign helped Suola Normale and Sant’Anna School students recognise abusive behaviours as women are still at high risk of domestic violence. On the occasion of the International Women's Day, March 8, 2020, the Police community-wide public awareness campaign will be linked with national and international campaigns encouraging citizens to join forces with community-based organizations in order to reach more people and have a greater impact on public opinion.
Cover photo: Police officers, Rector Sabina Nuti, Professor Gaetana Morgante
