Veronafiere and Gessica Notaro together to eliminate violence against women

Gessica Notaro with the president of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo (from the left), the deputy mayor of Verona, Barbara Bissoli. and the Councillor for Education of the Veneto Region, Elena Donazzan

Veronafiere is in the front line in combating violence against women. JOB&Orienta 2023 – the national exhibition focusing on guidance, school, training and work (22-25 November) – among other things welcomed Gessica Notaro, an activist who has been raising awareness about gender violence issues for many years.

The event in 2022 attracted 45,000 people, including students, young teachers and parents. It is an ideal venue for cultivating and spreading a culture of respect, equality and equal opportunities: topics that must be discussed in family and school environments and then put into practice in the workplace and everyday life.

Notaro spoke at JOB&Orienta 2023 to promote debate that she defines as “no filter” with the young people in the lecture room, who she encouraged to express themselves without fear. “Fortunately, in recent years, attention to violence against women and even murder has intensified. The real challenge now is to build dialogue with young people: we need to find an effective way to involve them in such a difficult and delicate topic. It is our responsibility to prevent and provide appropriate tools that can put an end to what I define as a full-scale ‘war,” said Gessica Notaro.

“This edition of JOB&Orienta has an additional responsibility after yet another murder of a young woman a few days ago,” said the President of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo. “This event offers a unique opportunity for discussion between schools, the world of work and institutions. All these parties can take effective action to eliminate violence against women and promote equally effective policies in favour of gender equality in our daily lives. It is essential to intercept young people not only to guide them towards a profession or an educational path but also to educate them about healthy affectivity and a culture of mutual respect.”

During the four days of the event, visitors were invited to paint their faces with a red mark or wear a garment of this colour to raise awareness of this issue. Furthermore, red ribbons were distributed at the entrance gates to the Exhibition Centre as a sign of solidarity and in memory of all the female murder victims, not the least Giulia Cecchettin who was remembered during the inauguration ceremony of the show.

The ‘Education, School and Teacher Training’ visitor itinerary at JOB&Orienta also included ‘Coordinamento IRIS’ for women’s freedom – a point of reference for the 13 centres, 28 anti-violence offices and 7 shelter homes located throughout the Veneto Region which carry out a fundamental role in

Red ribbons in Veronafiere

supporting women victims of violence.