Gender-based violence is a cultural problem. Let’s start again from everyday actions

“We are tired of having to look over our shoulders. We are tired of having to defend ourselves. If I don’t want it, you can’t do it.” These are the words that close È come sembra, a short film produced by the Una Nessuna Centomila Foundation and AssoConcerti, conceived by the foundation’s artistic lab and directed by actress Anna Foglietta. On screen, ten women of different ages and backgrounds—ten women who seem unrelated until they all find themselves in the same situation: being followed by someone. The video was shown in the summer of 2025 before more than 800 concerts and viewed by over 5.5 million people, with the goal of raising awareness among younger generations (and not only them) about gender-based violence.

According to Istat data, in Italy a woman is killed every three days; nearly 9 out of 10 are victims of psychological violence, about 65% of physical violence, and almost 24% of sexual violence. There are also less visible but equally dangerous forms of abuse, such as economic and digital violence. Just consider that 1 in 2 women does not have a job; that 70% of unpaid care and assistance work falls on women (OECD 2022); that 1 in 3 does not have a personal bank account (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and Banca Widiba); and that 12.4% of girls have been victims of cyberbullying, compared to 10.4% of boys (Terre des Hommes). In many cases, the comments they received had sexual content.

Una Nessuna Centomila is the first foundation in Italy created to support anti-violence centers (CAVs), promote cultural change through art, and fund sex-and-affective-education projects. Una—“Not one more”—echoes Ni una más, the cry raised by Mexican women to denounce femicide; Nessuna—no woman deserves to be abused, physically or psychologically; Centomila—one hundred thousand—like the people who filled the Campovolo arena in June 2022 for the concert that gave life to the foundation, together with Fiorella Mannoia, Emma Marrone, Elisa, Gianna Nannini, Giorgia, Alessandra Amoroso, Laura Pausini, and other artists. One hundred thousand and more, like the people who fight every day to say “enough” to violence against women.

“The foundation was born from culture, from music, and from the major concert held at Campovolo. Our honorary president, Fiorella Mannoia, along with all the other women and (fortunately) men who are part of our artistic lab, are not simply ambassadors—they are active participants in a project aimed at cultural change,” explained Giulia Minoli, the foundation’s president. “Because gender-based violence is a cultural problem.”

Sex-and-affective-education projects
To create real change, it is essential to invest not only in services that guarantee women support and protection (such as anti-violence centers), but also in sex-and-affective education. Una Nessuna Centomila is committed to bringing these programs to schools in order to explore questions such as: Why is a boy called “a girl” if he cries? Why can girls walk hand in hand, but boys cannot? Why am I mocked if my body isn’t thin?

“Unfortunately, Italy is among the last countries not to have a dedicated hour of sex-and-affective education in schools. This means we are not doing any prevention work even though it is essential to begin dismantling stereotypes and analyzing emotions from early childhood,” Minoli stated. “In the chapter I wrote for the book Senza Legge. Perché l’educazione sessuo-affettiva è una questione politica (Tlon, 2025), I explain how culture is fundamental for achieving this goal linked to prevention and education.”

Among the foundation’s projects is La fatica di essere medie, an initiative developed with Axa Italia in collaboration with ScuolAttiva, focused on emotional and affective education for lower-secondary school students. It offers opportunities for collective reflection on issues such as bullying, violence, and emotional understanding. In 2024, as part of La fatica di essere medie, a series of meetings titled Le sfumature dell’amore: educare ai sentimenti was launched: What happens when you fall in love? How do you recognize and manage your emotions?

Building on this success, the foundation developed a new program focused on affectivity: Tok Tok, chi è?—8 sessions for students, teachers, and families aimed at building a participatory educational model on the themes of the body, emotions, relationships, identity, and sociality. Another project carried out by the foundation was Libere, a live-streaming event held on 25 November 2024, organized with Unisona and supported by the Fondazione Conad ETS. Before an audience of 80,000 young people, it addressed issues such as domestic, psychological, economic, and digital violence, with a focus on prevention.

Support for anti-violence centers
According to Istat data, in 2022 more than 26,000 women turned to CAVs for help in leaving violent situations. These centers are essential points of reference for many women, yet they often lack sufficient funding to ensure safety and support for everyone. This is why Una Nessuna Centomila is committed to providing financial support to CAVs, shelters, and listening centers (with particular attention to southern Italy): in 2024, 196 centers in 5 regions received funds.

The foundation’s support is not only financial but also educational. For Una Nessuna Centomila, investing in the training of CAV operators means acknowledging that supporting survivors of abuse is highly specialized work that deserves recognition, visibility, and respect. For this reason, the foundation created the first permanent national training school for anti-violence-center professionals (a project also supported by entrepreneur Cristina Fogazzi, founder of Veralab). “The training is specifically designed for operators to strengthen the wide range of skills required for this work; it is a recognition, an institutionalization of their expertise, because today there is far too much improvisation and oversimplification on the topic,” the president explained.

Collaboration with the State Police
The fight against gender-based violence is a daily battle; for this reason, the activities of Una Nessuna Centomila continue tirelessly. The foundation has signed a protocol with the State Police to create a specific training program for officers who handle abuse reports: listening, support, and risk assessment are its pillars. Very often, officers are the first people victims speak to after episodes of violence, and it is therefore essential that they are properly trained by CAV professionals.

Violence against women is systemic—a pyramid of abuses culminating in femicide. “It is a cultural problem,” Minoli stressed. “We must change the culture, and this is possible through everyday actions.”