On the occasion of the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women” on November 25th, the Italian Volleyball Federation, the Serie A Volleyball League, and the Women’s Volleyball League are taking to the courts together to send a strong, joint message. Over the weekend of November 29th and 30th, the teams will spearhead an awareness and support campaign on all Italian volleyball courts.
The captains of all teams will read a message against violence against women, relaunching the national toll-free number 1522, available 24/7 for victims of violence and stalking, both on the court and on social media. The initiative will be supported by dedicated LED lights on the sidelines to ensure maximum visibility of the message and reiterate the clear “Stop violence.”
Below is the text that will be read by the captains:
“Today’s match, of the game we love, we want to dedicate to something special. We want to dedicate it to something that, unfortunately, has very little to do with our love for our game and the values we uphold every day. Unfortunately, we must dedicate it to hate. To the hate that too many people vent against women. To the hate that, today more than ever, we want to eliminate. Today we don’t just want to beat, attack, and block. Today we want to defeat violence, block this hate, and above all, we want to attack the silence. Every day, too many women are victims of violence. Too many women have to face their days with fear. Fear of being subjected to violence and, even worse, fear of speaking out. One in three women has experienced violence in her life. And reading the data and information about it is chilling. Physical violence. Verbal violence. Sexual harassment. Threats, pushing, slapping, kicking. Psychological violence. Economic violence. Humiliation. Intimidation. Control. The entire volleyball community stands against violence against women, and unanimously and unjustifiably condemns all forms of violence. On the occasion of the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,” the Italian Volleyball Federation and the two Serie A Leagues wish to commemorate 1522, the toll-free, 24/7 national hotline for victims of violence and stalking. “You are not alone.”
