PRESS RELEASE

The Importance of Asking for Help
The international community of Perugia united against gender-based violence

26 November 2025, 4:00–7:00 p.m.
Aula Magna of the Rector’s Office – University of Perugia

 

On Wednesday 26 November 2025, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., the Aula Magna of the Rector’s Office at the University of Perugia will host the third edition of “The Importance of Asking for Help”, an event promoted by Erasmus Student Network Perugia (ESN Perugia) on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and included in the autumn edition of the Social Impact Days of Erasmus Student Network.

A key event within the Social Impact Days

The event on 26 November is part of the Social Impact Days, a European-wide initiative which, through two weeks of coordinated activities, highlights the positive contribution that international students bring to local communities, promoting social inclusion, health and well-being, education, sustainability and civic engagement.

In this context, “The Importance of Asking for Help” is one of the most significant moments dedicated to rights, prevention of violence, and the creation of safe spaces.

Launched in 2023, the event has grown over the years and has become, for ESN Perugia, an unmissable annual appointment connected to the date of 25 November not only in symbolic terms, but above all for the message it aims to reaffirm: gender-based violence, in all its forms, is never a private matter, but a social issue that concerns everyone, regardless of language, country or background.

Since its first edition, the event has brought together institutions, academia and grassroots organisations, in a dialogue that puts at the centre people who experience violence, their needs and their rights. For ESN Perugia, addressing the issue of violence together with people in mobility means affirming a key principle: the fight against gender-based violence is a global commitment that calls everyone to take a stand.

The content of the event

The afternoon of 26 November will be structured around institutional greetings, testimonies, in-depth contributions and artistic performances.

After the institutional greetings – including those from the Councillor for social policies, equal opportunities, housing rights, the fight against discrimination and inequalities, and the promotion of policies in support of victims of gender-based violence and new citizenship at the Municipality of Perugia, Costanza Spera – a dialogue will begin between different stakeholders who work every day to prevent, combat and bring to light gender-based violence.

Among the speakers:
● Omphalos – the leading LGBTI+ association in Perugia and Umbria, represented by Dr Andrea Pennasilico (psychologist).
● Prof. Silvia Fornari – contact person for the University of Perugia and for the University’s anti-violence helpdesk.
● Associazione Libera…Mente Donna – represented by Dr Maurita Lombardi, a feminist, women-led organisation managing several anti-violence centres in Umbria.
● Comitato Artemisia – represented by Dr Francesco Di Pietro.
● Artistic performance by international students from ESN Perugia – reading of reflections, poems and texts in their mother tongues.
● Dr Monica Bariletti and Dr Letizia Castellani – psychologists, focusing on the psychological impact of violence, support networks and care pathways for young people and students.

During the afternoon a short film produced by ESN Perugia will also be presented. It is the result of the creative work and commitment of the volunteers of the local section. The short film tackles, in narrative form, the theme of asking for help, highlighting the process of recognising violence and activating local support services.

There will also be a contribution from Il Porco Rosso, an ARCI social club managed by the Rete degli Studenti Medi Perugia and UDU Perugia. The club is a youth-led, democratic and community space: its presence in the programme reinforces the importance of “safe spaces” in the prevention of gender-based violence.

The event will be jointly moderated by:
● Giulia Grasso, President of ESN Perugia
● Leonardo Brecchia, Communication Manager of ESN Perugia
● Agnese Aurola, Volunteer of ESN Perugia

An open invitation to the whole community

“The Importance of Asking for Help” is open to the general public, the academic community and anyone interested. The participation of institutions, organisations and international students aims to convey a strong and direct message:
● break the silence, because asking for help is an act of courage;
● recognise violence, both in its visible forms and in its more subtle manifestations;
● build alliances, to make Perugia an increasingly attentive and welcoming city, able to protect those who are most exposed to violence.

In line with the spirit of the Social Impact Days, ESN Perugia reaffirms that international students are not just beneficiaries of services, but key actors in real social change, bringing new perspectives, stories and languages into the fight against gender-based violence.

 

For more information:
Leonardo Brecchia – Email: comunicazione@esnperugia.it – Phone: +39 3661878898
 
Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is an international, non-profit student organisation created to support and represent students in mobility and to promote intercultural understanding under the principle of “Students Helping Students”. Today ESN is the largest student association in Europe, with hundreds of local sections in more than 40 countries and thousands of volunteers working to make mobility an accessible, inclusive and transformative experience.
 
ESN Perugia is the local section active at the University of Perugia and the University for Foreigners of Perugia: a group of young volunteers who welcome hundreds of international students every year, organising cultural, social and educational activities and working in synergy with universities and local stakeholders to foster integration, participation and active citizenship.