Punti Viola, music and cinema to combat gender-based violence

Gender equality is not a goal to be achieved in the future, but a concrete commitment that guides the present. For this reason, Chiesi, an international biopharmaceutical group, has chosen to endorse a manifesto against violence and harassment, taking responsibility to tackle the issue with concrete prevention and support measures. Not a symbolic gesture, but an act that makes the protection of dignity a shared daily commitment. This choice aligns with Chiesi Group’s dedication to operating according to a shared value approach, integrating business success with social progress. In reference to the strategic pillar People, i.e., employees, this means recognizing the uniqueness of each individual and ensuring equal opportunities. Over the years, this commitment has translated into tangible actions – from closing the gender pay gap and developing paths toward leadership positions, to inclusive parental policies and support for caregivers and vulnerable individuals – and continues to be reinforced through cultural and local initiatives against gender-based violence.

Punti Viola in pharmacy
In 2025, twenty-eight pharmacies in Parma and its province became Punti Viola, safe spaces where women experiencing violence can seek help. The goal is to create a widespread network of easily accessible locations where those asking for help can find trained personnel, ready to listen without judgment and guide them to the appropriate services. The project, promoted by the association DonneXStrada, was implemented by Chiesi Italia, inspired by the CAN (Chiesi Affinity Network) WIN – Women Inclusive Network, the internal volunteer group active on gender equality issues, which supports the Group in designing and spreading initiatives and best practices in Diversity & Inclusion. Collaboration with Federfarma Parma was crucial. Participating pharmacies display a sticker at the entrance to make their involvement in the Punti Viola network visible and easily recognizable. To date, 76 pharmacists have completed specialized training: a choice that highlights the central role pharmacies play in everyday community life. They are not only places to obtain medicine or healthcare advice but also local entities capable of addressing another type of need: protection from violence. As Ilaria Saliva, president of DonneXStrada, explains: “Pharmacies are places we visit daily and where we often build trusting relationships with staff. Making these commercial spaces places to ask for help creates a valuable network, capable of providing important information to empower people and, above all, allow them to make free choices.”

Quello che le donne…dicono!
This is not the Group’s first initiative in this area. In 2024, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Chiesi hosted the performance Quello che le donne…dicono!, created and performed by singer and vocal coach Silvia Smaniotto, accompanied on the piano by Pietro Cantarelli. Music and poetry intertwined in a journey that guided the audience from the shadows of silence to the light of reclaimed voices, giving voice to experiences too long denied of women facing violence simply because they are women. The show was an invitation to reflect on centuries of discriminatory mentality as well as the power women and men have to be part of an increasingly necessary change. Through songs and poetic texts, emotions became tools for awareness and an invitation to take responsibility. The event generated strong emotional engagement, as reflected in comments such as: “You gave us something touching, engaging, and full of important messages” and “I wanted to congratulate you, and of course your entire CAN, for the event […]. A reflective, overwhelming, moving, simply superb afternoon. Thank you!”

La gioia all’improvviso
Looking back, another important example of Chiesi’s commitment to combating gender-based violence dates to 2023, when it supported the production and distribution of the film La gioia all’improvviso, dedicated to the work of the anti-violence center (CAV) operators in Parma. Directed by Marco Mazzieri, written by Lorena Ravanetti and Fabrizia Dalcò, the film was developed with direct consultation from the center and under the patronage of the Emilia-Romagna Region and the City of Parma. Filmed on location at the CAV, the film intertwines the voices of operators and women who survived violence with the performances of Teatro del Cerchio actresses. Reception, listening, legal assistance, job guidance, and support in paths of rebirth are narrated through a collective storytelling approach, restoring dignity and complexity to a commitment often unknown. The national premiere at Cinema Astra in Parma was sold out and received praise from institutions and the public alike. La gioia all’improvviso was later screened internally at Chiesi, turning the film’s story into a tool for collective awareness and an invitation to build a culture of respect and care together.

Cultivating respect, building change
Arianna Conca, Senior Director, Global D&I and Wellbeing, explains Chiesi’s motivations: “Gender-based violence is a wound that silently crosses our society, too often invisible. Each of us can and must make a difference, and companies have the power and responsibility to generate awareness and change. With this spirit, in 2022 we launched our Manifesto contro i comportamenti ostili, la violenza e le molestie sul lavoro: a concrete commitment to prevent all forms of violence and promote a culture of listening and respect. We are proud that this manifesto is now extended to all our branches worldwide: an important step in our journey to create safe, inclusive, and supportive workplaces. At Chiesi, we strive every day to cultivate a culture based on respect, inspiring others to do the same. Only together can we build a society truly free from violence and a future in which no voice has to fear being heard.”