WOMEN’S GENERAL STATES AND THE GAIA FOUNDATION: NOVEMBER 25 IS NOT JUST A DAY, IT’S A RESPONSIBILITY THAT CONCERNS US ALL!
Press release,
General States of Women and Gaia Foundation, National Coordinating President, Dr. ISA MAGGI
Towards November 25, 2026 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
Let ‘s talk about violence against women, so let’s start with a premise. Gender violence is not a sudden emergency or the anomaly of a few. It is a structural phenomenon, born where inequalities arise: in culture, in assigned roles, in poorly distributed power. It has a thousand faces, from femicide, which is its extreme form, to everyday gestures that seem small but are not. This is why it is fought not only with laws, however necessary, but with a cultural transformation that involves everyone: families, schools, businesses, institutions, communities.
A focus on sexual harassment in the workplace
I was asked to delve deeper into the phenomenon of sexual harassment in the workplace. As always, I started with data, which is scarce and not very recent (Eurostat and Istat). But numbers alone don’t capture the true extent of the problem: many women don’t report, for fear of retaliation, shame, fear of not being believed, or fear of jeopardizing their careers. What the data doesn’t reveal, experience does.
In over thirty years of fieldwork, working with countless people, I’ve encountered many cases. Too many, I’d say. They vary in severity, but all have the same root: the idea that a woman’s body and dignity are negotiable in the professional sphere. Among the many problems to overcome, there’s certainly normalization: the tendency to dismiss as jokes, „compliments,” or „normal” behaviors that are actually offensive and unacceptable, as defined by ILO Convention 190. When an inappropriate joke is dismissed with „don’t be touchy,” when colleagues’ silence becomes complicity, when the person reporting becomes the problem, normalization has already won. Training, if done well.
Training plays a crucial role, but only if it isn’t simply a formal requirement. It must create a competent environment: people capable of recognizing harassing behavior, not turning a blind eye, knowing what to do and who to contact. Clear procedures are needed, credible contact persons, effective protection for those who report, and leadership that sets an example. A safe workplace isn’t a luxury: it’s a condition of legality, well-being, and even good management. Every place is a sentinel.
This is where our appeal comes from. Every workplace, every place of study, every shop, every professional studio, every association can and must be a sentinel: a place where those in need find a listening ear, help, advice, and the right direction. Often, the first person a woman in need turns to isn’t a specialized worker, but a colleague, a teacher, a shopkeeper, a hairdresser, a pharmacist, or an employer. Knowing how to welcome and guide, without judgment, can change a life. This is why we present our Manifesto for November 25, 2026: „Together for a future of equality, freedom, dignity.” You can use it, add your logo, and display it in your spaces, in your windows, and on your social media channels. The message is simple and concrete: „This shop welcomes you, listens to you, and offers advice.” With the numbers to remember: 1522, the national anti-violence and stalking number, and 112, the single emergency number. Let no one, no one, sleep. Because change cannot be delegated: each and every one of us must take responsibility for being there, every day and not just on November 25th, in this dramatic and necessary fight against gender violence. Every voice, every choice, every woman matters. Change starts with us. Today. Together. Always!
Dr. ISA MAGGI
National Coordinator of the Women’s General States
President of the Gaia Foundation
Main sources: Artestv.it: https://www.artestv.it/stati-generali-delle-donne-e-fondazione-gaia-il-25-novembre-non-e-un-giorno-e-una-responsabilita-che-ci-guarda-tutti-e-tutte/
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