On the occasion of “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women” on 25 November, the Mondadori Group stands alongside all abused women with the #InPiediControlLaViolenza project.

The heart of the initiative is the art installation devised by the Mondadori Group with photographer Nicola Ughi and director Tommaso Casigliani to raise awareness about gender-based violence.
On display from 18 to 25 November at Palazzo Niemeyer, the work showcases 100 red chairs, which, in the artists’ vision, become a powerful symbol of collective commitment. In the exhibition only one chair stands upright and open, an emblem of strength and resistance, surrounded by closed “knocked-down” chairs: a silent but powerful tribute to all women whose lives have been interrupted by violence and who fight every day to overcome abuse and injustice.

The project is part of the social responsibility pathway the Mondadori Group has been following for some time, together with publishing houses, digital media, magazines and bookshops: it is an invitation to think about an issue that concerns everyone, and its purpose is to promote a culture based on respect and equality, against all forms of gender-based violence.

“Increasingly, companies are becoming places for social reflection, promoting debate and cultural change, and going beyond their business objectives. As Italy’s leading publishing group, we feel a strong responsibility to continue our commitment through awareness-raising initiatives like #InPiediControLaViolenza,” said Francesca Rigolio, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Mondadori Group. “We believe that the fight against gender-based violence should also be an active part of the workplace and that people’s personal and professional lives should be integrated into a “unified” vision of the human being that considers the individual and the community,” Rigolio concluded.

The #InPiediControLaViolenza awareness-raising project also extends to the lighting at Palazzo Mondadori. Exceptionally, until Monday 25 November, the lights of the arches of Oscar Niemeyer’s iconic building will change colour, turning red in solidarity with abused women and as a symbol of Mondadori’s commitment against gender-based violence.
The evocative video illustrating the art installation and the extraordinary lighting at Palazzo Mondadori will be posted on the Group’s website and social profiles, reaching millions of people and amplifying the message.

Special group media content

Awareness of these issues is also expressed through the Mondadori Group’s media, which are taking an active part in the project with a special program as part of the organisation’s year-round commitment and responsibility.
Specifically, The Wom and Webboh, respectively Mondadori Media’s first 100% inclusive social magazine and the first digital community for the new generations, will offer content to raise awareness about an issue of great current interest. In addition, The Wom website will publish a special feature with analyses, interviews, personal accounts and insights on the topic of gender-based violence.

Meeting for employees and collaborators

The promotion of a culture based on respect and equality, against all forms of gender-based violence, will be examined during a meeting for employees and collaborators entitled “Beliefs and Microaggression. Between Bias and Artificial Intelligence”.
The event will take place tomorrow, Thursday 21 November, as part of Mondadori’s “Diversity & Inclusion” project to foster an inclusive culture and equal opportunities in the organisation. It will explore how cognitive biases influence personal beliefs and generate phenomena like microaggressions, which are often invisible.

The panel will feature Mondadori Group CEO Antonio Porro, and experts in various fields, from neuroscience to psychology, economics and gender equality:

• Raffaella Tonini, Scientist and Research Director at the Laboratory of Cortical and Subcortical Circuit Neuromodulation at the Italian Institute of Technology;
• Vittorio Lingiardi, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, Full Professor at the La Sapienza University in Rome;
• Andrea Notarnicola Cociani, Newton Management Consultant and Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Global Inclusion Foundation art. 3 ETS;
• Azzurra Rinaldi, Economist, Director of the School of Gender Economics at the University of Rome Unitelma Sapienza.

Credits

The art installation is by Nicola Ughi and Tommaso Casigliani, based on the “Sediarossa” format.
Photographer: Nicola Ughi.
Director: Tommaso Casigliani.
Director of photography: Paolo Palladino.
Assistant director: Raffaello Terreni.
Music: Tommaso Casigliani and Pietro Pagnes.