A space to breathe in Bologna

Today gender-based violence and discrimination towards women remains an important and widely discussed issue. This is why safe spaces and strong local support networks are so important for women who have gone through such experiences. That's exactly what the “Spazio Donna” center in Bologna offers and much more.

Over the past years, the “WeWorld Women’s Spaces” have supported Italian and international women of all ages with a variety of activities in all of Italy. In Bologna, specifically in the San Donato-San Vitale neighbourhood, the “Spazio Donna” centre acts as a vital regional outpost. For women who experience violence or discrimination, local support networks play a crucial role by providing safety, assistance and a sense of security. Additionally, Bologna is considered one of the most progressive cities in Italy when it comes to women's rights, gender equality and feminist urban planning, state the "European capital of democracy".

Introducing “Spazio Donna”

The centre is run by WeWorld an Italian non-profit organisation. They collaborate with CADIAI, a social cooperative. Together they are in charge of the “Spazio Donna” Women’s safe spaces in Italy. Through their projects in over 25 countries, they bring immediate help where it is needed to build long-lasting development pathways for over 50 years now. Their focus is on women and children, who face obstacles every day that limit their rights and opportunities.

“Our mission is to foster women’s empowerment, prevent gender-based violence and support women gaining personal, social and professional autonomy”, explains Michela Patuzzo. She is a social economist and currently project manager heading the international projects department at CADIAI. They want to achieve their goals through identifying and addressing risky situations and providing guidance on local services. Over the past five years, “Spazio Donna” has helped 720 people, according to Patuzzo. Which gives it a serious standing within the WeWorld community.

The collaboration with psychotherapists, pedagogues and educators ensures careful observation of women and minors to uncover experiences of domestic violence, whether experienced or witnessed. Patuzzo continues, “Spazio Donna is not focused on emergency response but is instead designed as an open, everyday community hub.”

As an NGO the “WeWorld”-organisation is mostly relying on donations. They receive their money from institutional funds (77,3%), private donors (11%) and from other sources (8,2%). Patuzzo elaborates, “This multi-source funding model ensures that all our services remain entirely free and accessible to any women who needs them.” Nearly 90% of that money is used for their projects. The other 10% are used for fundraising and for general support.

Gender-based violence globally

Gender-based violence has progressively come to be recognised internationally as a true public health emergency and a violation of fundamental human rights. It’s currently at the centre of political and social debates. To put into perspective how needed places like “Spazio Donna” are, we must look at the history.

The 1979 CEDAW Convention and the 1993 UN Declaration marked a global beginning of promoting gender equality and preventing violence against women. Over the last two decades Spain, France, Germany, Sweden and Portugal have developed representative examples of integration between public policies, judicial protection and healthcare. They all share a common feature. The awareness that reduces gender-based violence is driven by a stable system supported by structural resources. But the protection against domestic violence worldwide still remains uneven.

Gender-based violence in Italy

In Italy the period following 1968 marked a turning point in the process of women’s emancipation and the affirmation of women’s rights. This was driven by protest movements demanding equality, sexual freedom and social recognition. But the matter of gender-based violence remained an issue for a long time. Especially in private and family surroundings. A significant shift happened in 1996 with the “Law No. 66”., which was a fundamental redefinition of sexual violence. It was also the first recognising of sexual violence as a crime against the person rather than against public morality.

According to a comparative analysis published on MDPI, Italy more and more shifted towards European and international standards in human rights and equal opportunities in the 2000’s. This led to an introduction of a series of measures aimed at strengthening penalties for domestic and gender-based violence. By implementing the “femicide law” in 2013 and the “Red Code” in 2019. It introduces precautionary protection measures, fast-track procedures and new criminal offences for domestic violence.

COVID-19 and isolation

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The isolation led to a significant increase in intrafamilial violence and worsened the access to support networks for women. According to the VII Eures Report on “Femicide in Italy”, the number of domestic femicides involving cohabitation increased by 10,2%. The report states that in the first ten months of 2020, “21 of the 26 women killed were living with their murderer.”

These figures were alarming and fuelled the reform of criminal procedures in 2021, which gave victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence an expanded protection. The most recent measure is law No. 168, which was passed in 2023. Its main points are strengthening the prevention and monitoring of sentinel crimes, with mandatory training. The law also increases penalties for those who violate protection orders in cases of domestic violence.

What is “Spazio Donna” offering?

Opening in June 2021, this is where “Spazio Donna” comes into play. Trust is one of the first things “Spazio Donna” tries to build. When a woman enters the centre for the first time, staff hope she immediately feels “seen, heard, and completely non-judged,” said Patuzzo. The goal, she claims, is for women “to breathe a sigh of relief, realizing they don’t need to carry their burdens alone anymore.”

A key aspect of creating this safe environment for women is an all-women team. According to Patuzzo, an all-female team helps establish “an essential layer of psychological safety,” the moment a woman walks through the door. For women who have experienced trauma, control or violence within relationships, being surrounded by people who have “shared gender experiences" adds an additional sense of security.

After providing a welcoming and safe space, “Spazio Donna” provides a wide range of services aimed at empowering and helping women achieve personal, social, and professional autonomy. According to Patuzzo, a typical day at the organisation would start with “individual counselling, physiological support or employment orientation workshops,” and in the afternoon the house will fill up with “group activities, cultural or well-being laboratories, and peer-support circles.” A lot of the women that enter the house are mothers who are facing economic instability, social isolation, or having difficulty re-entering the workforce. Due to the childcare services the house provides, the mothers are able “to fully focus on their personal development,” while their children are safely looked after. 

A clear example of this support in action comes from a mother who arrived at the centre “completely isolated, with no local network and zero financial autonomy,” which according to Patuzzo, left her “highly vulnerable to psychological control at home.” At the beginning, she did not access the centre's services all at once. Instead, she started by using the childcare space, bringing in her child while she attended workshops focused on professional orientation and self-esteem. The gradual engagement became a turning point. With time, she began rebuilding both her confidence and her practical skills, working on her CV and taking steps toward entering the job market. Due to the help from “Spazio Donna” her situation shifted significantly. She secured a part-time job where she found a community, which was missing in her life. Today, she is living in a safe environment, is financially independent and as Patuzzo describes, she now “frequently visits us not to ask for help, but to support new women walking through the door.”

Experts view on gender equality

Despite progress around the world in education and public debate, Professor Cristina Demaria argues that gender equality in Italy is still held back by deeply entrenched cultural norms. Speaking from her role as the Rector's delegate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Bologna, she describes a society where patriarchal attitudes are embedded in everyday life. “There is still a deep-rooted patriarchal culture within Italy,” she said, adding that “cat calling, touching a woman, or giving an unwanted compliment on the street,” is seen as normal. Ongoing stereotypes and biases shape how women and gender roles are perceived within the culture. 

Sexual harassment and gender-based violence are often sustained by the same structural imbalance of power. Reporting on an instance of violence is frequently shaped by hierarchy, particularly within a workplace where a person may hold authority over the victim. Fear of disbelief or professional consequences can discourage women from speaking out, reinforcing silence around matters that are often normalized. Demaria argues that it will take a cultural shift in how society views these experiences, moving away from dismissal and towards recognition. 

Among younger generations, Demaria sees both change and continuity. She explains that younger generations are more exposed to discussion around gender equality than previous generations therefore they are more aware of discriminations and inequalities. At the same time, she warns that the shift is not consistent across all young people. “You have some young people that follow certain social media personalities that uphold a very misogynistic view,” she says. “The young generation is changing… but there are different kinds of forces and tendencies that we still have to fight against and the pace is slow.” 

Spazio Donna represents, in her view, where change begins to take shape. “This is how you change, you don't change by proclaiming principles and values, you change things by acting, by doing,” Demaria says.  For Demaria, initiatives like Spazio Donna are significant not only because they provide support,  but they help shift the broader culture in which gender-based violence is often ignored or minimised. 

Conclusion

“Spazio Donna” shows how local, hands-on support can make a real difference in addressing gender-based violence. While laws and policies have improved around the world and in Italy, gaps still remain in lived reality. “Spazio Donna” helps bridge the gap offering a safe space, trust, and practical tools for women to rebuild autonomy. Its impact is not individual but cultural. As Professor Demaria suggests change does not happen through principle, but through action and education. “Spazio Donna” is one example of that action in practice, showing how consistent, community driven support can challenge isolation and create social change.