The context
In Italy, women’s shelters (CAV in Italian) provide women who are victims of violence with a safe space for listening, protection, and support. Through free and confidential services, these shelters help women understand their situation, learn about their rights, and develop personalised paths to exit violence, in collaboration with social and health services and the judicial authorities. Their presence in the community is crucial, as it allows for the early identification of abuse cases, supports victims during the most difficult moments, and contributes to making communities more aware and capable of preventing gender-based violence.
However, women’s shelters are also characterised by significant heterogeneity in the skills of their staff. The level of preparation among operators can vary widely, particularly in sensitive technical areas such as trauma management, working with minors, and providing support for parenting. This variability can sometimes complicate interactions with institutions and other services and may affect the quality and effectiveness of the interventions offered to women.
To address the need for a more consistent level of preparation among operators, in 2025 Fondazione Una Nessuna Centomila launched a nationwide training project, establishing the first Permanent School for Operators of Women’s Shelters. The School aims to define a professional profile which, while preserving the historical and value-based identity of women’s shelters, systematises skills and operational strategies, enabling operators to interact more effectively both with the women they serve and with institutions and other stakeholders involved in support pathways.
The project
The training and skill development of women’s shelters operators is an area of particular interest for Fondazione Marcegaglia, which since 2013 has supported targeted training initiatives benefiting the women’s shelters supported through other means, especially in the territories of Mantua and Carrara.
In continuity with this commitment, the Foundation has decided to provide a grant of €20.000 to support the organisation of the second edition of the Permanent School for Operators of Women’s Shelters, scheduled to begin in October 2026.
The School’s training programme, structured into eight modules, will be free of charge for approximately 420 participating operators from various shelters across the country. Activities will be led by experts from the diverse field of gender-based violence prevention, including sociology and gender studies lecturers, trainers and psychologists, journalists, anti-violence center operators, lawyers, philosophers, researchers, economists, and other professionals. This ensures the multidisciplinary nature of the programme and the delivery of up-to-date knowledge on a constantly evolving phenomenon.
