The context
In Italy, one in three women experiences some form of physical or psychological violence during her lifetime (ISTAT, 2023), yet less than 15% of victims report or contact women’s shelters. The main barriers to seeking help remain fear of consequences, shame, emotional isolation, and financial dependence on the abuser. The data is equally alarming when it comes to mental health: according to the WHO (2023), over 30% of women in Europe have experienced episodes of anxiety or depression related to stress, isolation, or experiences of violence; in Italy, one in five women experiences symptoms of depression, yet only 25% access psychological treatment, often due to financial or logistical obstacles.
Founded in 2017, the Mama Chat Association was created to offer psychological support to these women through a Chat staffed by a team of psychologists, called Mama’s Angels. The Mama Chat service provides women with qualified support and accurate information within a protected, free, and anonymous digital space, accessible from anywhere in Italy and designed to reach those who, for personal or other reasons, struggle to access traditional channels.
Since 2017, Mama Chat has helped over 60.000 women and young people free of charge escape the darkness of violence and psychological distress. Today, it intercepts an average of four cases of GBV violence per day, more than 700 serious clinical situations per month, and manages over 10.000 chats per year. For many women, this service represents their first safe point of contact, capable of breaking down the economic, social, and cultural barriers that too often prevent access to structured support.
Taking inspiration from the tradition of “suspended coffee,” the Association has also established a Suspended Therapy Fund, which can finance support sessions for people who need them but cannot afford them. In 2024, the Fund enabled the activation of 15 therapy programmes and the provision of 168 psychological support sessions, offering concrete assistance to women and young people who, at a time of particular vulnerability, would otherwise have forgone treatment opportunities.
The project
To ensure the continuity and development of Mama Chat’s activities in the two-year period 2026-2027, Fondazione Marcegaglia has decided to support the Association with a structural grant of €60.000. This contribution will enable the pursuit of key strategic and social objectives:
- increased hours of staffing at the Chat Desk by experienced and qualified personnel, with 2 additional hours per week;
- expanding access to the service, reaching 15.000 beneficiaries per year, compared to 10.000 in previous years;
- operational consolidation of the team that manages Mama Chat’s activities and services, through training, capacity building, and team building programmes;
- strengthening data collection and monitoring capacity to highlight trends, emerging needs, and social impact, producing evidence to support increasingly effective advocacy on topics related to women’s mental health;
- provision of 10 “suspended therapy” sessions for 10 women identified via chat and experiencing violence or significant economic and psychological vulnerability.
