BolognaMondoDonna
What is inspiring?
The association MondoDonna supports women in vulnerable situations and those in need of a safe place to raise their children, among these migrant women and families. Its various projects evolved into an overarching gender-based essential services network with more than 50 residential centres in the Bologna metropolitan area. Its mission is to guide women towards autonomy, by validating and working on their personal skills.
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How does it operate?
The hosting community centres provide mother-child residential care for pregnant and single mothers, secret refuge shelters for women victims of domestic violence, and centres for victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, as well as hosting migrant women and families. They also operate transition houses for those who are exiting the hosting project and in need of job-oriented socioeconomic support. MondoDonna’s teams are made out of educators, psychologists, counsellors, and lawyers who are coordinated by an internal staff.
Who initiated the project? How?
Born as an association in 1995 in Bologna, MondoDonna established the first mother-child residence in the city. In 2013 it became a centre to prevent and protect women from gender-based violence, expanding its services all around the metropolitan territory and the district of Riccione. As part of their CHIAMA chiAMA project in collaboration with the municipality of Bologna MondoDonna also offers local contact points.
What is the outcome?
Thanks to its expertise and multidisciplinary approach, MondoDonna increased inclusion opportunities for the people hosted in the association’s reception centres by offering them support and customised job placement opportunities. MondoDonna also became part of the Italian reception and integration system (SAI) and the emergency reception centres for asylum seekers, refugees and holders of international protection (CAS), enriching the local reception system with a solid gender expertise.
What is new in 2024?
MondoDonna initiated the Nausicaa project. In collaboration with the municipality of Bologna and its Public Company for Services to the Person (ASP), it aims at improving the social participation of third-country nationals residing in the metropolitan area. By offering social, health and educational services, in particular for young adults, vulnerable families, single women and adolescents, its main goal is to provide them with psychological orientation and support. It also involves transcultural training to social workers, operators and mediators working with people with psycho-social vulnerabilities.