Polis Group

D - PR & TRANSFERABILITY

D1 - Please describe how the GP communicated its experience and success to the public
The GP creates an important network of relationships with other organizations in the territory collaborating with Local Health Unit, with the Municipality of Padua and also with other sector organizations but it doesn't promote their acivitiesd with the normal communication channels.

D2 - Please describe how the GP communicated with local or national decision makers?
The GP collaborates with the Municipality of Padua for innovative projects about social inclusion and support of women victims of violence or prostitution trades.

D3 - Are there any elements of this project that you think would transfer particularly well to other contexts?
One of the most important characteristic of the Group is its structure: the synergy among the different realities of Gruppo Polis, well connected to the network permits the creation of a real rehabilitation chain.The decision not to adopt a top-down organizational structure has proven to be an undeniable strength of the Group. Another transferrable feature is the innovative project with the MUnicipality of Padua. In fact, only in the Municipality of Padua, 34% of women living between 16 and 70 years said they had been victims of physical, sexual or psychological violence during their lifetime. The number of women who had the courage to denounce the violence is much lower and reaches only 5%. To face this new emergency, the Group has started a series of initiatives aimed at the protection of women victims of domestic violence and women victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation:

• hosting in two apartments with a secret address in order to take the victims away from the hands of their exploiters and their persecutors. The women, who spend in the apartments a period of about 10 months, receive medical and psychological care, establish relationships based on trust, begin paths of individualized work tutoring;
• a vocational and training workshop that helps users to rebuild their autonomy through a solid support in the professional growth;
• awareness campaigns against trafficking and violence against women, to promote awareness and solidarity of citizens, institutions and businesses.