D.i.Re – Women in the Network against violence has also developed for 2023 the photograph of the Network of anti-violence centers and the activities carried out on the national territory.
The new report records a substantial growth in resources used to support women. Nonetheless, these resources continue to be insufficient overall, demonstrating the importance of greater support from institutions, public financiers (Regions and Municipalities) and private ones.
"Although the data relating to funding appear positive, the anti-violence centers survive despite the institutions lacking an approach that recognizes their value, as well as their reception and prevention activities” declares Antonella Veltri, president D.i.Re - Women on the Net against violence. "On the national territory there is a total lack of homogeneity in public contributions and methods of collaboration, a lack of homogeneity that creates confusion and inequalities” continues Veltri. “If we want anti-violence centers to truly act as a barrier to violence and as a driver of change, also thanks to prevention activities, it is essential that they are recognized as authoritative and adequately funded.” concludes the president.
Living mainly off volunteers, the anti-violence centers of Rete D.i.Re can count on economic resources that are not yet sufficient to always guarantee adequate responses. Resources coming from public funding are superior to those of a private nature. The providers of public funding are, in order, the Regions, with 79,5% (81,9% in 2022; 80,2% in 2021) and the Municipalities for well over half of them (61,9% in 2022; 50,1% in 2021). The Municipalities are the main source of economic support for the centres.
As for private financing, it is growing by 11 percentage points compared to 2022. Self-financing is also increasing, by 9%.
There are currently 87 organizations in the Network and they manage 117 centers and 218 anti-violence offices, as well as 66 shelters throughout the national territory. The centers guarantee women welcome, listening and the possibility of legal assistance in all cases. They offer psychological counseling and career orientation courses in percentages higher than 92% of cases.
In the 112 anti-violence centers out of 117 that participated in the data collection, the women welcomed in 2023 were 23.085 (+11,5% compared to 2022) of which 16.453 were new (+15% compared to 2022).
"The increase in anti-violence centers and offices and in women welcomed demonstrates the value of the Network's presence in the area” declares Antonella Veltri “This growth makes the urgency of national policies to support anti-violence centers even more evident, which still base their activities mainly on volunteering” concludes the president.
As in previous years, the volunteers support the activities of the centres. However, compared to 2022, there is an increase of more than 4 percentage points for total paid activists and 7 percentage points for new paid activists.
46,5% of women who turn to a network center are aged between 30 and 49, reflecting a stable trend over time. They are predominantly Italian women, although, in 2023, at least one in four will be of foreign nationality. Almost one in three women, among those who turned to anti-violence centres, do not have a job and less than half (41,1% of employed and retired people) can count on a secure income.
The forms of violence suffered by women who turn to the Network's centers are multiple and of various nature, consolidated over time. The most frequent is the psychological one - suffered by the vast majority of women (82,2%) - followed by the physical one (56,5%). At least one woman in three suffers economic violence, while sexual violence and stalking are found in a lower number of cases (16,9% and 16,3% respectively).
The perpetrator of the violence is predominantly Italian: only 26% have foreign origins and this figure, now consolidated over the years with insignificant deviations (in 2022 it was 28%), calls into question the widespread stereotype that sees the phenomenon of male violence on women reduced to the legacy of cultural universes located in the "elsewhere" of non-European countries.
The perpetrator of the violence is almost always the partner or ex-partner. This means that in 74,2% of cases (80,5% in 2022, 79,8% in 2021) the violence is carried out by a man in an emotional relationship with the woman.
Violence, especially when committed by a partner or ex-partner, can lead to situations of serious danger both for the woman and for her sons and daughters. Shelter homes respond to the need to move away from the family home, as the only viable solution to avoid further and more serious violence. In 2023, there will be a total of 66 centers that have at least one shelter, corresponding to 59%. For 2023, as in previous years, there is also an increase in the number of apartments available in the houses (going from 198 in 2022 to 227 in 2023) and an availability of 1.190 beds. Nonetheless, the offer is still insufficient, so much so that 673 women were unable to find hospitality.
