MILAN (ITALPRESS) – In Italy, every 3,8 days a feminist is committed. A shocking figure, confirmed by the sad trend of 2025 – which has already recorded over 60 episodes in the first 8 months of the year. In this context, at the initiative of Chiara Gribaudo, President of the Parliamentary Commission of inquiry into working conditions in Italy, on the exploitation and protection of health and safety in public and private workplaces, the Red Calendar was presented today at the Press Office of the Chamber of Deputies: a pro-bono awareness raising initiative, sponsored by the Municipality of Milan and conceived by Havas Italia, among the main international networks of integrated communication, in support of the Association DONNEXSTRADA, with the collaboration of CNC Media, part of eGroup Italy, media company and creative agency.
‘ Violence on women must be countered in all possible ways and this initiative fits perfectly in the delicate and fundamental part of prevention and awareness of society, which still too often underestimates this problem – said Gribaudo -. The Red Calendar reminds us, not black on white but black on red, what scary numbers we are talking about. A woman every three days is killed, very often within the home walls, and the phenomenon can no longer be treated as an emergency, but systemic. Counting, counting, is an important step, from which politics can no longer escape. I thank Havas Italia, DONNEXSTRADA and CNC Media for this precious occasion and for the daily work in favour of women’ concluded Gribaudo.
‘ The red calendar, with a simple and highly impacted graphic solution, puts us in front of a reality with which we often fail to count: the male violence against women seems not to have clays, indeed it demonstrates all its fury just when the foundations of patriarchal society are questioned,’ said Lamberto Bertolé, Councillor for the Welfare and Health of the Municipality of Milan.
‘Remark – black on red, in fact – the frequency with which feminists take place forces us to look at the truth in the face: women continue to die at the hands of men and we have to do much more so that this does not happen, starting from the education of the younger ones so that they enter a culture of respect, at the base of a society more just for all and all has concluded Bertolé.
Red Calendar is an idea that arises from data, from the observation of a reality still too worrying, in front of which one cannot remain indifferent. Data that speak of private women of the freedom to choose, of lives interrupted by a cycle of violence. Red Calendar is a project that aims to make the frequency of feminists in Italy easily visible, considering also those silent and invisible events that too often remain out of the public gaze and intervening on an instrument that we all, every day, consult: the calendar.
Unlike traditional ones, in fact, in the Red Calendar everything changes. The visual code to which we are accustomed, according to which in black are represented the working days and in red the Sundays and the holidays, is overturned, leaving room to a new language that rewrites the meaning of the days and that delivers a new face – surely harder – of the reality in which we live, in which women are too often victims of violent and unjustified behaviors. Red days therefore remind women victims of feminism, to witness the raw statistics, while the remaining black days, functional to narrative, contain practical information to deal with and prevent critical situations, as well as motivational messages designed to raise awareness and support those in situations of difficulty.
‘We are proud to present today the project Calendar Rosso, born to remember every day the many, too many feminist victims that we still count in Italy – said Caterina Tonini, CEO of Havas Creative Network Italy -. This initiative, of which Havas is leader, is designed mainly for companies: aderirvi means choosing to take an active and responsible role, not only economic. It means engaging concretely to generate change within its organization, promoting social culture among people and thus contributing to the well-being of society‘ continued Tonini. ‘Communication – especially the internal one – plays a crucial role in fostering profound cultural change. Listening to your people’s instances and building an environment based on respect, equality and awareness is the first step. What happens in the company, where you spend most of the day, inevitably has an impact also in the private sphere, in relationships and in the community. And it is precisely this responsibility that we want to take, all and all’ concluded Tonini.
The initiative, which has obtained the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, has as its main objective to support the activities of the DONNEXSTRADA Association, a reality of great importance in the Italian landscape for years engaged in support and assistance to women in difficulty or victims of violence. At the conference, moderated by Diletta Parlangeli, together with the Honorable Gribaudo participated: Lamberto Bertolé, Assessore al Welfare e Salute del Comune di Milano; Caterina Tonini, CEO Havas Creative Network Italia; Irene De Cristofaro, Legal Advisor & Project Manager at DONNEXSTRADA; Francesco Brocca, Co-Founder eGroup Italy (CNC Media). The Red Calendar is a product that can be purchased by companies and entities with a commitment shown on the subject, at a fixed price of 15 euros, of which 50% of the proceeds will be entirely – and directly – donated by buyers to the DONNEXSTRADA Association, while the remaining 50% will be useful to cover the production and printing costs.
‘The Red Calendar is an act of civil responsibility and collective awareness: an invitation to recognize feminism not as an emergency, but as a structural violation of fundamental rights and personal freedom – comments Irene De Cristofaro, Legal Advisor & Project Manager DONNEXSTRADA -. Every red day tells a story that should not end, but that can still teach us to change the next. Restoring visibility to what is too often reduced to a number or a title of news means reaffirming the dignity of each of us, and recognizing the power of memory. It is a call to common duty: change arises from listening, dialogue and courage to appoint violence to really counteract it, transforming awareness into concrete protection, in homes and workplaces,” continues De Cristofaro. ‘As DONNEXSTRADA, we believe in the value of law, solidarity and prevention: for this we are proud to support Havas in a common commitment to subvert the culture of silence,” concludes De Cristofaro.
Among the partners and companies that have now joined the initiative: Afnor Italia, Bamed Baby Italia (MAM Baby), Engel & Völkers Italia, Forvis Mazars and Pulsee Luce e Gas. For further information on the project or on the purchase of the calendar, please contact: [email protected] As part of the initiatives put in place by Havas and CNC Media in support of the Red Calendar, there is also a special theatrical show written and interpreted by Cathy La Torre, a lawyer and activist for years engaged in the defense of the rights of women and the LGBTQIA+ community.
‘The Red Calendar is more than one symbol: is an act of memory and commitment,” said Francesco Brocca, Co-Founder of eGroup (CNC Media). ‘As eGroup Italy we wanted to support it concretely, contributing to its organization and promoting it through the channels of CNC Media, which for years informs millions of readers on these themes’ concluded Brocca.
The show, whose tickets were put on sale at the symbolic cost of 5 euros each – with the entirely devolved collection at the DONNEXSTRADA Association – will be held this evening from 8 pm, at the Teatro Filodrammatici in Milan. On the stage, together with Cathy La Torre – who, through a long monologue, will tell the crucial role of the woman, too often silent, in the history and development of our society, and will address the delicate theme of feministive – will also intervene representatives of the DONNEXSTRADA Association, who will bring to the public some of the stories, unfortunately real, lived first person during the traditional activities carried out to support of the many women who daily turn to the network.
‘Recreating voice to women who have been essential for the growth of our humanity, is not only a duty, but it is a seed that we throw into the culture that develops an idea of equality between genres and deconstructs stereotypes around the female’ commented Cathy La Torre. To anticipate the theatrical show will be held a short panel of deepening, moderated by journalist Maria Latella, with the involvement of the companies partner of the event, as well as of institutional representatives and the Association DONNEXSTRADA.
‘To support the Red Calendar for us by Pulsee Luce and Gas means to affirm strongly that cultural change also passes through the communication and social responsibility of enterprises. In a context where gender violence continues to be a structural plague of our society, we believe in the power of memory and information to generate awareness and promote a culture of respect. The Red Calendar offers us a concrete tool to support the victims while at the same time supporting those who, every day, work to protect and listen to women in difficulty. As a company, we feel the duty to actively contribute to this transformation, alongside reality like DONNEXSTRADA and promoting initiatives that center the dignity, freedom and the right of every woman to live without fear,” commented Alicia Lubrani, CEO of Pulsee Luce and Gas.
-Foto Havas-
(ITALPRESS).
