BARI – The initiative “From Signs to Dreams – Bright Sky Edition” has arrived in Puglia: the agreement signed by the Libellula Social Enterprise Foundation and the Vodafone Foundation for EDUCAtIoN social and health personnel in order to recognize the signs of gender-based violence will start in the region with the ASL of Bari, thanks to the synergy between the general management and CUG, the single Guarantee Committee of the local health company of Bari that promoted the project.
The project includes training courses dedicated to social and health workers to identify the signs of violence as quickly as possible and use suitable relational tools to approach victims and keep them safe. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, in 2022 there were 14,448 visits by women to the Emergency Room with an indication of violencebut there is a concrete possibility that there have been many other cases of women who were unable or unwilling to declare that they had been victims of violence.
The aim of the project is also to activate a real intervention and protection network formed by organizations, associations, institutions and services in the areaas well as creating a network between hospitals adherents to promote the exchange of best practices and the comparison of a highly topical social phenomenon.
In the case of the ASL Bari, the Emergency Room, the Gynecology, Obstetrics, Traumatology, Pediatrics and Orthopedic Surgery departments will be involved.
Staff training will be provided by Fondazione Libellulahaving already tested the “Dai segni ai sogni” care project in previous years on the staff of the ASST-Gaetano Pini-CTO of Milan and having replicated it in 6 other editions in the Milan area.
Debora Moretti, President of the Libellula Foundationhe has declared: “I am extremely happy to see this ambitious project, which Fondazione Libellula has been working on for some time, come to fruition: involving hospital facilities throughout Italy is a unique opportunity to create a protection and support network for victims of violence. The collaboration with Fondazione Vodafone, with whom we share values and objectives, has been decisive and innovative.”
In fact, as a tool to support social and health workers and women victims of violence, Vodafone Foundation will make available “Bright Sky”, the free app, developed in collaboration with CADMI – House of Abused Women and State Policewhich provides resources and concrete tools to women who suffer violence and abuse. Also a useful resource for relatives, friends, colleagues, associations and for those who are close to abused women, Bright Sky provides information on different types of violence and empowers women to become more aware of how to manage their situation. The app also provides a mapping of support services that deal with abuse, both at local and national level.
“The realization of this project, the result of the collaboration with Fondazione Libellula, demonstrates that creating an ecosystem of private and public partners, united by a common goal, can multiply the positive impact of tools such as our Bright Sky app, which aims to combat gender violence through knowledge and awareness. And this is precisely why we believe it is essential to support healthcare personnel through specific training, to identify the signs of risk situations and intervene promptly and correctly, so as to protect those who suffer abuse and violence.” declares Adriana Versino, President of the Vodafone Foundation.
“Specific training for the healthcare personnel of the ASL of Bari on the topic of gender violence means for us to increase support for women victims of violence, so that healthcare personnel can recognize the signs of violence even earlier and approach them in a way that gives security to the victims. A training that breaks the chains of violence and further enhances the professionalism of healthcare workers” – Luigi Fruscio, Acting General Manager of the ASL of Bari.
