Description of the city
Bologna is the seventh most populated city in Italy, and is the heart of a metropolitan area with a relevant economic and cultural influence on the neighbouring cities and regions. In 2015 Bologna has become one of the 10 Metropolitan Cities in Italy; as such, it has a population of more than 1 million inhabitants.
Being home to the oldest University of the Western world, founded in 1088, Bologna hosts thousands of students every year, who make the city’s cultural and social life very active and lively. Renowned for its medieval towers and long porticoes, the city boasts a very well preserved historical centre, among the largest ones in Italy.
Bologna is a major rail and highway junction in Northern Italy, in an area with a strong presence of important industries in the fields of mechanics, electronics and food. It hosts a number of prestigious cultural, economic and political institutions. In 2006 it was appointed as UNESCO Creative City for Music. Bologna has a long tradition of openness to gender and culture differences. It's the pioneer city of the movement in defence of LGBTI rights. The City government of Bologna was the first in Italy, back in 1982, to entrust a municipal space to a gay club, namely the Cassero in Porta Saragozza.
Population: 387.554 inhabitants
Goal
Bologna wants to be a welcoming city, taking care of its own citizens, whatever male or female, and of their rights. The city government intends to guarantee equal opportunities in every context of their social, working, education life and their relationships with the institutions.
The issue of equal opportunities, with all its applications, the contrast to any form of discrimination, the fight against violence and the traffic of women and children, the rights of LGBTI communities, the access to services for the new citizens – all are different aspects of the safeguard of the fundamental rights of the individual.
Focus areas
1. WORK ENVIRONMENT
Discriminations within the work environment: survey done in 2013 among the personnel of the Municipality of Bologna, with the aim to detect the presence and the degree of gender prejudice and homophobia, and subsequently take decisions and promote actions of awareness-raising and training in order to improve the attitude of public servants dealing with citizens.
Partners:
- Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna
National LGBT Strategy 2013-2015: the coordination of the local project in the framework of the “Work” Axis in the regional area of Emilia Romagna included the organization of a training course for top managers and of a local event addressed to the citizens.
Partners:
- UNAR (Italian National Office against Racial Discrimination, Department of Equal Opportunities)
- RE.A.DY (National Network of Public Administrations against Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity)
- EXTRAFONDENTE (professionals against discriminations):
2. CULTURE
Week of Children’s and Teenagers’ Rights: to celebrate the Convention on the Rigths of the Child as approved by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989: various initiatives are approved and organized (around the 20th of November), with the city cultural festivals and programs, focusing on rasing awareness about gender issues and gendere differences.
Partners:
- Hamelin (Cultural Association)
- Istituzione biblioteche Bologna (Institution of Bologna Municipal Libraries)
Bibliography “Leggere differenze (Reading differences): it’s a bibliographic guide which is constantly updated and offers reading courses to young readers and teachers on topics dealing with difference, with stories of variety, identity and families. The material is divided into thematic areas by age groups (0-14 years) and has been developed for the consultation and promotion on the web:
Partners:
- Istituzione biblioteche Bologna (Institution of Bologna Municipal Libraries)
- Documentation Center “Flavia Madaschi”, Arcigay, Cassero LGBT Center
- Associazione Famiglie Arcobaleno (Rainbow Families Association)
- Hamelin Cultural Association
Gender Bender International Festival: a festival taking place every year between the end of October and the first half of November, with the aim to represent products of art and of contemporary culture, linked with “new representations of the body, gender and sexual orientation identities”.
Partner:
Divergents: International Festival of Transexual Cinema.
Powered by MIT, Movimento Identità Transessuale (Movement of Transexual Identity)
Annual celebration of special anniversaries/days:
- IDAHOBIT (17 May) - International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
- LGBT PRIDE (28 June) - Day of LGBTI price
- TdoR (20 November) - Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to commemorate the victims of anti-transgender hate and prejudice
3. EDUCATION
Educational workshops for children: organized in the libraries, these workshops aim at providing educational tools to fight prejudice and social discrimination of any diversity, with a special attention to diversities connected with members of non-traditional families (homoparental families, one-parent families, recomposed families), to gender identities non complying to stereotypes and preset gender roles.
Tante Storie, tutte bellissime (Many stories, all beautiful)
Partners:
- Documentation Center “Flavia Madaschi”, Arcigay, Cassero LGBT Center
- Associazione Famiglie Arcobaleno (Rainbow Families Association)
- Associazione Frame
Training for teachers and educators: to favour inclusion of homoparental families.
The course is included in the project “Educate to Differences”, aimed at raising awareness and promoting the culture of respect of gender differences in the field of education. It was included in the District Educational Plan for the staff of the education services for 0-6 year children.
Find the differences, train in the diversities
Partners:
- Istituzione biblioteche Bologna (Institution of Bologna Municipal Libraries): http://www.bibliotechebologna.it/
- Hamelin Cultural Association
- Documentation Center “Flavia Madaschi”, Arcigay, Cassero LGBT Center
4. WELFARE
Via Luna (Beyond the street): project of damage and risk reduction in the sex industry in the street and in apartment. The project develops through interventions and programs of emersion and first assistance addressed to people victims of traffic and interventions and programs of social assistance and inclusion addressed to people victims of exploitation.
The project is promoted by MIT, in cooperation with The City of Bologna and the Region Emilia Romagna.
Partners:
- Istituzione per l'inclusione sociale (Institution for Social Inclusion)
- MIT, Movimento Identità Transessuale (Movement for Transsexual Identity)
Welcome of transsexual people: by giving houses on loans for use, the Municipal government intends to face the housing emergency of transsexual people, victims of traffic and exploitation, that need protection..
Partner:
- MIT, Movimento Identità Transessuale (Movement for Transsexual Identity)
5. HEALTH CARE
BLQ Checkpoint: the first community centre in Italy for prevention of HIV.
The project aims at promoting the culture of prevention and precocious diagnosis and early treatment, in a context not strictly belonging to the health system. The centre is run by the Association Plus - network of HIV positive LGBTI people, in agreement with the Municipality, the Local Health Unit and the Region Emilia Romagna.
Partner:
Contact
Manuela Corazza
Department Rights and New Citizenships, Equal Opportunities and Safegurd of Differences
Email: manuela.corazza@comune.bologna.it