PRESS RELEASE
The transitional rule for the application of the State-Regions Agreement amended in September 18 relating to the minimum requirements for the accreditation of anti-violence centers and refuge homes has been extended by another 2022 months.
"Thanks also to the opposition of women's associations that manage recognized and qualified anti-violence centers, the changes proposed by the Regions have not been implemented" declares Antonella Veltri, president of D.i.Re - Women on the Net against violence. "This postponement, however, does not reassure us. In fact, we believe it is essential to ensure that the same threatening changes are not proposed again in 18 months. For this reason we believe it is decisive to be present in institutional moments in which the regions are protagonists on one side and the government on the other, in an interlocution from which the methods of prevention and reception of women who suffer violence will derive.a” continues Veltri.
“We are convinced that the government and all institutions cannot do without it to take needs into consideration, experiences and skills of those who have worked with women for over thirty years with high quality standards, always guaranteeing fundamental activities, such as risk assessment” concludes the president.
The proposed changes are critical, in particular with regard to those relating to the art. 1 which could put the very quality of anti-violence in Italy at risk. The article, which provides that organizations that manage anti-violence centers must have the prevalence of this activity both stated in the Statute and clearly in the budget, was requested by women's associations to limit a trend in recent years towards a race for funding realities that have nothing to do with welcoming women who suffer violence.
Some regions, in fact, have held the wide shirts for accreditation, also recognizing realities - such as, for example, multi-service cooperatives - which deal with many issues with the real risk of a reduction in quality and exclusivity criteria, opening up the possibility of operating in anti-violence even to non-competent subjects , which could put women who decide to embark on the path to escape violence at risk.
These regions propose to the government the opening of a technical table: the associations of women who operate in anti-violence with competence, quality and experience ask that members of the observatory who manage the anti-violence centers also participate in the table.
Another critical element of the new State-Regions Agreement is the 24-hour guarantee obligation.
"Anti-violence centers are constantly underfunded for ordinary activity. This, the non-continuity of the funds disbursed and the lack of policies integrated with the territory make it impossible to guarantee 24-hour opening". declares President Veltri again.