Universit� degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

At the Department of Law, the final event of the PRIN project on gender-based violence in Italian universities, led by Unimore, will take place on 4 April

The research project “ Understanding Gender-Based Violence in Italian Universities ” (PRIN2020), led by Unimore, will have its final presentation at a conference taking place at 9:30 AM at the Department of Law (via San Geminiano, 3) in Modena on Friday, 4 April 2025.

The project, coordinated by Professor Laura De Fazio along with Professors Tindara Addabbo and Silvia Ferrari, involved the universities of Milan, Turin, and La Sapienza in Rome.

The study examined gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual harassment, in Italian universities using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

“These issues have received growing attention in recent years, particularly since the #MeToo movement began in the United States in 2017. Global awareness of GBV has increased,” says Professor Laura De Fazio from Unimore, “leading to the development of European projects and systematic academic research on the issue. However, this remains a taboo subject in many countries, including Italy.”

The Council of Europe Convention (Istanbul Convention, 2011) and the International Labour Organization Convention (C. 190, 2019) address GBV and place the responsibility on governments and employers to implement appropriate measures for prevention, protection, and prosecution. However, a growing body of research shows that GBV remains highly prevalent in workplaces, and universities are no exception.

“The data available so far, although fragmented,” continues Professor De Fazio, “show high prevalence rates across all disciplines and institutional levels, with a concentration of victims among various minority groups. Therefore, properly understanding the scale and nature of the problem is essential for an effective preventive response.”

The project’s ambitious interdisciplinary research plan was structured into several phases, allowing the collection of data to assess the current situation of GBV in the Italian academic context. “After carrying out a systematic review of international literature on the prevention of sexual harassment in universities—essential for acquiring the knowledge needed to guide subsequent research phases,” explains Prof. De Fazio, “a questionnaire was designed and distributed to all members of the four research units, including students, academic staff, and administrative personnel, to investigate perceptions of and the prevalence of GBV in all its forms within universities.”

The conference will provide an opportunity to present the findings of this quantitative survey, along with recommendations on how to effectively address and combat the issue.

A qualitative study was also carried out, consisting of interviews with key experts from various universities to map out current prevention and intervention measures in place in Italian universities and assess their compliance with international standards of effectiveness. Finally, an ongoing qualitative study is currently collecting data through interviews with victims of sexual harassment from any Italian university.

“The goal,” concludes Professor Laura De Fazio , “is to investigate and understand which protective factors could be useful in responding to these incidents, with the aim of designing effective preventive measures and interventions.”

The conference, with the scientific committee including Professors Tindara Addabbo, Laura De Fazio, and Giovanna Parmigiani, and the technical committee comprising Dr Debora Ginocchio, Dr Oriana Binik, and Dr Carlotta Barra, will be an opportunity for exchange and discussion. Speakers will include Georgia Zara from the University of Turin, Ester Cois from the University of Cagliari, Stefano Porru from the University of Verona, Giovanna Vingelli from the University of Calabria, Cristina Gamberi from the University of Bologna, Alessandra Simonelli from the University of Padua, and Patrizia Tomio from the University of Trento, who will present European and national projects involving their respective universities.

As places are limited, attendees must register in advance by completing this FORM .

Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng