NoiNo campaign raises awareness of all forms of violence against women

A campaign opposing violence against women has been launched in Rome with the support of the city and the Lazio region, ahead of the United Nations-backed International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November.

The campaign raises awareness about the various manifestations of abuse against women including assault, murder, rape, harassment, insults, threats, punishment, blackmail, humiliation, stalking, isolation, intimidation.

Established in Bologna last year, the aim of the "NoiNo” campaign is to force men into realising that all forms of aggressive or derogatory behaviour against women is completely unacceptable. Lending their support and faces to NoiNo are actors Claudio Bisio and Alessandro Gassman, musician Daniele Silvestri, and the manager of the Italian football team Cesare Prandelli.

The four celebrities appear on posters alongside a series of words such as "threaten, humiliate, injure" under the umbrella of "This is violence." The posters can be seen on billboards and buses around Rome, as well as at Termini Station and museums such as the Vittoriano, the Capitoline and the Ara Pacis.

There are information points at the Auditorium Parco della Musica and at the Olympic stadium during football games scheduled in November, including Rome-Sassuolo on 10 November and Rome-Cagliari on 25 November, coinciding with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The NoiNo website has a special page dedicated to Rome where men can join the growing list of supporters by uploading an image of themselves holding a NoiNo sign or sticker, or wearing a NoiNo t-shirt.

The NoiNo website and Facebook page also contain information on initiatives in Rome that culminate in a nationwide series of events on 25 November.