The academic world, with its dynamism and the powerful innovative, creative, progressive charge deriving from the fertile encounter between generations, instances and knowledge, is never only the place where change is studied or handed down, but often the incubator himself in which it is born, roasts and propagates. This is the case of gender themesnow permanently became priority in the contemporary debate but without limiting yourself to that conflicting frame, between claims and struggles, which – albeit precious in the era in which equality had no citizenship – today leave to step to a renewed phase, of greater social sharing towards a heritage of the community, recognizable and recognized in an increasingly transversal way, which today requires another type of commitment, in the first hand, Fighting and eradicating the stereotypes on which read conduct then grafted, from disparities to the “jokes”, to the actual violence.
Equal opportunities are not a “women for women” theme and the choral commitment of Italian universities for equality and violence was reiterated by Messina: it is the outcome of the General states on gender policies, which have seen the Aula Magna of the University of Messina become the heart of the comparison between the academic delegations. The event was wanted by the Conference of the Rectors of Italian Universities and organized with the coordination of the UNIME Retrice Giovanna Spataripresident of the Crui Commission on gender issues, which led the works inaugurated by the President of the Crui, Giovanna Iannantuoni, rector of the University of Milan-Bicocca, presenting the results that emerged from the Crui cognitive investigation regarding the theme of harassment, the relative perception of the phenomenon within the universities in all their components (teachers, staff, student community) and to the prevention and contrasting tools adopted by the universities.
Many in -depth themes, while the urgency has emerged to consolidate the training actions in the universities in a structured way, without leaving them to the initiative of the individual institutions, indeed by connecting the funding to the adoption of specific procedures on the subject of social “sustainability” of equal opportunities and the contrast to disparity and gender violence. The memory of young victims linked to the university world is moved: Giulia Cecchettinstudent in Padua, e Sara Campanellakilled in Messina last March. Cases of femicide that obliged to a profound rethinking, also of the role that the academy can play in orientating a necessary global cultural change, aimed at redefining the perimeter in an invalcible perimeter respect for individual sensitivity in a shared and incontrovertible way.
Spatari: a “occupied place” in all universities
“I am proud that Unime could host this appointment – said Prof. Spatari – and I thank President Iannantuoni for allowing him. His presence here today is strongly linked to a promise made to our students in the aftermath of the femicide of Sara Campanella and testifies that the path we have taken continues stronger than ever. Over 110 gender or delegated delegates have decided to take part in the general states, in the presence or remotely, and the results of the activity carried out by the various working groups have already been presented. From these bases we will have to start with more vigor to guide future actions. I also want to formally relaunch the invitation, already expressed by Prof.ssa Aurelia Soleso that all Italian universities are extended to the “employed place” campaign that our university has supported for about 10 years ».
The questionnaire between “lights and shadows”: 85 universities and 2 million people
“The Crui survey – commented Prof. Iannantuoni – involves about 2 million people and represents a firm taken by responsibility by the entire academic community of Italian universities. Each of us knows that things can happen within the university scene and it is necessary to work to contrast, in a synergistic and non -rhetorical way, the phenomenon of harassment and violence of various types. It is essential that that veil of hypocrisy is raised that too often persists within the universities and it is for this reason that, for the first time in a choral way, all the 85 University of Crui They worked promptly to question their communities and provide important answers against violence and injustice daughters of a wrong system that permeates the whole country. A picture of lights and shadows emerged from the investigation that make university the mirror of Italy; Giving an example, but also putting their scientific and research peculiarities in place to react concretely to unacceptable violence is a duty to which we must not escape because, today, we can no longer tolerate events such as the femicide of Sara Campanella, which has touched all of us and, in particular, your city, but not even other violence “.
Two intense days: the student component is also in the classroom
Over the two days, the initiative was divided into 4 sessions (moderated by unime teachers Carlo Vermiglio, Vittoria Calabrò, Milena Meo and Daniela Sapienza) which have allowed the universities to take stock of themes such as equity and inclusion, language and gender (with the intervention of the emanating linguist Cecilia Robustelli of unimore), reporting processes with a gender view, with a specific and multidisciplinary focus on the methods of prevention and on the tools to combat university harassment. There was talk of bullying, attacks in the working environment, economic violence, and numerous testimonies on projects and initiatives aimed at creating a condition of “inclusive security” capable of making the university environments welcoming and livable: “Not a conference – concluded the Spatari rector – but a structural restart, for the benefit of women, fragile bands: a message of inclusion and attention that starts from Italian universities”.
The prefect of Messina have taken part in the general states on gender policies Cosima di Stani; the mayor of Messina Federico Basile; Prof.ssa Antonella Polimenirector of the University of Rome “La Sapienza” (in remote connection); prof. Francesco Priolorector of the University of Catania; prof. Giuseppe Zimbalattirector of the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria; prof. Antonio Garofalorector of the Parthenope University of Naples; The lawyer Andrea Catizonedelegated councilor of the Minister of University and Research for Orientation and Youth Discomfort policies. Present in the main hall exponents of the student component of the Messina Academic Senate while remotely intervened Alessia Contipresident of the National Council of Students who shared the compilation of the questionnaire.