University of Genova: students mobilization for a women’s shelter

Translated by Irene Cecchi

UNIVERSITY OF GENOVA: STUDENTS MOBILIZATION FOR A WOMEN’S SHELTER

On November 7th 2024, students of the University of Genova met in front of the University rectorate, in a hub set by the Cambiare Rotta union (literally, changing route), demanding a meeting with the dean Federico Delfino to discuss the opening of a women’s shelter since Genova is one of the few universities that still hasn’t got one.

This request is a consequence of a recent episode of harassment that took place in the Architecture department of the University: at the beginning of October it was found that an adjunct professor used his female students’ photos and turned them into pornographic content (it’s the deep fake phenomenon: creating or modifying photos, videos or audios with the AI), ultimately sharing them on Telegram.

After six of these girls reported him, on October 1st 2024 the investigations started and the professor was relieved from his role: for now he is charged with defamation via internet but it can be upgraded to virtual pornography and possession of pedopornography (since it appears that a girl was minor a the time of the photo).

A delegation of the manifesting students managed to get a meeting with the vice-dean Nicoletta Dacrema but it was not enough for them, who saw it as a lack of interest towards the need and urge to open a “Center for life support”.

So the protest is still going on: on monday, members of the Union picketed in the atrium and in front of the rectorate, waiting to get a meeting with Delfino. They are demanding a written promise and a fixed schedule for the opening of a public and accessible women’s shelter, managed by competent staff.

After a week, on wednesday the vice-dean released a letter signed also by the dean where they agreed on a meeting and also referred to a project, already in action, consisting in a listening post for all requests that, according to the collected information, will evaluate the path to follow redirecting involved people to shelters or rehabs.

In the meantime, those students involved in the harassment case distanced themselves from the protests, or better from their methods, because they are afraid that could foster disinformation and get in the way of the investigations. They shared their position with flyers in order to remain anonymous.

Beyond the single case

The University of Genova has ongoing projects and measures to support student and workers, like the “trusted consultant”, an impartial figure dedicated to preventing, managing and solving mobbing or harassment cases happening within the university, but many consider it not to be sufficient.

With the aim of directly hearing students' opinions, the union shared an anonymous form to all architecture students to collect all harassment cases or other unprofessional behaviours by anu professor. Based on the results of the survey and the following meetings, the union wrote another letter to the dean stating “the University doesn’t have any efficient tool to protect students, [...] the professor being relieved is not enough”.

A shelved project

The University of Genova started in 2023 a project consisting in a anti-violence hub managed by the sociologist and researcher Mariella Popolla that is based on other universities experiences, in particular the Valencia one. In an interview with Repubblica, Popolla said “our project is the result of a cooperation with shelters and anti-violence centers of the area because we believe it’s better if only accredited centers are in charge of these operations”.

But that project didn’t get any follow-up. After the protests, the vice-dean Decrema brought up the possibility to reopen it in January 2025, adding a listening post with a psychologist and open for the entire university community.

This project is mentioned in the letter that protesting students received last wednesday and it’s part of a wider plan presented in front of the Prefecture, in occasion of the Monitoring Board of the “inRete protocol”, aiming to hinder violence based on gender; in this framework, there are also 200 hours of training workshops and research projects.

But the union is still not satisfied, considering that the post doesn’t meet the actual needs since it’s structurally designed to listen and not to intervene. The union also criticized the course of action that didn’t involve the student community and the fact that this structure let the University avoid any kind of responsibility.

Other universities

Women’s shelters in universities are a reality in many cities: the first one was opened at the University of Turin in 2019, its management is independent and it cooperates with the organization E.M.M.A.

After that, also the University of Bari and Perugia followed Turin example in 2020 and later in 2022 the University of Calabria and Pisa.

Rome followed a different path: at the Sapienza, where there has been a shelter since 2022, about a hundred people used it, mainly to report cases of harassment by other students; at RomaTre, instead, there were cases involving professors too.

The University of Bologna has an anti-violence station since 2022 where they noticed a high increase of users after the femicide of Giulia Cecchettin, one year ago: this case left the attention toward the issue and made the center known.

In Palermo something similar was opened in 2023 and one year after in Milan Statale the station Ad alta voce (literally, out loud). In Venice and Genova it’s still a work in progress.

In fact, the Ca’ Foscari University in Venice is partnered with the public one but doesn’t have one of its own. Also the University of Padova, L’Aquila and Napoli don’t have one, despite the numerous requests of their students.

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