"We were clear: an extraordinary fund is needed for the Covid-19 emergency"

April 2, 2020. “Funds now released by the Equal Opportunities Department these are ordinary resources already allocated in 2019 to the National Anti-violence Plan, which we have been waiting for since last year. This is not the extraordinary fund requested and destined for anti-violence centers for the Covid 19 emergency. The resources also will be managed by the Regions: this means that some of the centers of the network D.i.Re they will not get those funds".

Antonella Veltri, President of D.i.re – Donne in rete contro la violenza, comments on the Decree with which the Minister for Equal Opportunities has The 30 million of the National Anti-violence Plan planned for 2019 has been released, of which 20 million for the ordinary activity of anti-violence centers and shelters and 10 million for 'specific collateral activities to combat violence', now diverted to the emergency Covid19 across the Regions. "In fact, resources are taken away from activities such as the training and job placement of women who have survived violence, which are also essential to complete the reception and support activities carried out by the anti-violence centers".

“The ordinary management of the anti-violence centers requires the use of resources that have not arrived in due time and the advent of the epidemic has determined a very heavy burden of activities”, continues Veltri. "The requests were clear".

"We asked for an ad hoc fund for the coronavirus emergency, because ordinary funds are used to finance the bare minimum of the centers' activities," he explains Mariangela Zanni, councilor D.i.Re for the Veneto. “Furthermore, not all centers obtain these funds while it is a priority that all centers D.i.Re, who have all remained active in this period, can access these resources ".

“We are very worried. We ask that the Regions rapidly define homogeneous criteria for the immediate allocation of funds to anti-violence centers, using the criteria established by the State-Regions Agreement and in compliance with the Istanbul Convention ", concludes Veltri," and that the procedures established for the disbursement of loans are monitored by the Equal Opportunities Department so that the resources actually reach the anti-violence centers which have always been, and now more than ever, a fundamental garrison in every territory ".