THEThe fund included in the Budget Law, thanks to an amendment by the opposition, provided for half a million euros allocated to affective education courses in schools. But that fund no longer exists. The figure, as announced by the Minister of Relations with Parliament Luca Ciriani, was transferred in favor of teacher training on issues related to the prevention of infertility. We talk about it with Isabella Orfano, women’s rights expert Action Aid.
«For the umpteenth time the gap in politics between what it says and what it does is revealed», says Isabella Orfano. «In our research Beyond wordswhich we presented last November 25th, it emerges that for politicians the issue of preventing gender violence seems – from what they say – to be a priorityand thus that of the need to introduce affective education in schools, as prevention. But then, when it’s time to vote on appropriations and thus move from words to deeds, we don’t act in a coherent way.”
According to the Oltre le parole research by Action Aid, affective education courses in schools are primarily needed to prevent gender violence. Getty Images
In reality, it is difficult to understand what this teacher training on the prevention of infertility could be.
«I don’t know either, you should ask them. However, it is clear that in this way we are not in line with what Europe asks of us. Directive 2024/1385 of 14 May, on the fight against violence against women and domestic violence, explicitly talks about prevention and emotional education. We will have to adapt, it is an obligation. We are also waiting for the new anti-violence plan to be finalised, there will also be a section on prevention.”
It should be added that many people in Italy request emotional education.
“Certain! As it emerges from Beyond wordsto the question: “what measures do you consider priority to respond effectively to the phenomenon of male violence against women”, as many as 60 percent of our sample put the education and awareness of people starting from school age first? . In fact, it is believed that changing cultural models already in schools can act on the causes of the problem and prevent the phenomenon. Furthermore, from another of our research, in this case dedicated to adolescents, it emerges that young people are confused about the causes of violence and the consequences. While they have no doubts about who does it: the males.”
It must be said that affective education courses are already held in many schools, often of high quality, with the intervention of experts. What is missing then?
«There are many laudable initiatives, it’s true, often also on the initiative of the Regions. A structural intervention is missing. What is missing is the State taking the political responsibility to act on a cultural model which is the one from which violence against women arises.”
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