MILAN (ITALPRESS) – Gender violence is a complex social challenge that requires a shared response, based on the collaboration between institutions, health professions, associations, enterprises and local communities. With this objective was presented today at Palazzo Pirelli the Project Mimosa Lombardia, an initiative promoted by Farmaciste Insieme that marks the start of the national pilot project aimed at developing and experimenting a structured model of listening, information and guidance aimed at women victims of violence through the involvement of pharmacies and collaboration with the territorial network of services. The Mimosa Project is one of the most significant experiences developed by the Italian pharmacy in support of women victims of violence. Born more than fifteen years ago thanks to the commitment of the Association of Pharmacists Together, the project has developed within the Italian pharmacies making leverage on characteristics that have always belonged to the community pharmacy: its widespread presence on the territory, the proximity to people and the role of the pharmacist as a health professional who every day welcomes, listens and directs citizens in their health needs. In this context, the pharmacy is one of the most accessible places in the territorial network, able to intercept situations of fragility and direct people to the competent services.
Thanks to the dedicated training of pharmacists and pharmacists and to the collaboration with the realities of the territory, the Mimosa Project has built over the years information, listening and guidance courses aimed at women victims of violence. The Pilot project. Lombardy is the first operational laboratory of a new phase. The pharmacists and pharmacists who have joined the initiative have participated in a specific training course developed in collaboration with experts engaged in contrast to gender violence and with professionals working within the territorial antiviolence network. The route has provided useful tools to recognize situations of fragility, to welcome any requests for help appropriately and safely and to guide women to the competent services present on the territory. The main communication tools are a dedicated inn, exposed in adhering pharmacies, equipped with QR Code that allows you to quickly access useful information and contacts, and the Free Bees App, which allows you to consult in a simple and reserved way useful numbers, antiviolence centers, territorial services, information dedicated to women who live situations of difficulty.
The initiative is part of the path initiated with the Memorandum of Understanding for the prevention and contrast of violence against women, signed in 2025 at the Chamber of Deputies by the Minister for the Family, Christmas and the Equal Opportunities Eugenia Roccella together with Farmaciste Insieme, FOFI, Federfarma, Assofarm and United Pharmacies. The Board of Territorial Networks Together Lab. Among the most innovative elements of the project is the Constitution Together Lab of the Board of the Territorial Networks of the Project Mimosa Lombardy, a permanent space of comparison and collaboration that brings together health professions, institutions, civic associations, third sector and reality of the sports world united by the aim of promoting the culture of respect and strengthening the network of support to fragile people. The Board is born of the awareness that complex phenomena such as violence against women must be addressed more effectively through dialogue and collaboration between subjects who work daily on the territory and who, from different perspectives, share the same responsibility towards the community. They’re part of it. Fondazione Ospedale Niguarda, ANDI, Fnopi Lombardia, Cittadinanzattiva Lombardia, UISP and Federazione Motociclistica Italiana – Regional Committee Lombardia.
Declarations
“The Mimosa Project was born from the daily experience of pharmacists and pharmacists working in local communities. In recent years we have understood how important it is to offer women not only information, but also listening, guidance and the possibility of being accompanied to the competent services. Today, with the Lombardy Pilot Project, we make a further step forward: the Board Together Lab is born, a space in which health professions, institutions, Civic associations, enterprises and sports world will work together to share experiences, develop good practices and build models of collaboration to make available to the territories to protect women. New models able to strengthen the territorial network, foster ever more effective help routes and make sure that no woman is left alone. ”, states Angela Margiotta, President of Farmaciste Together.
‘The pharmacists are a reference point of proximity health. Closeness to people, the relationship of trust and knowledge of communities allow us to intercept the needs of assistance and to offer concrete support to those who live situations of fragility, not only of health type. Initiatives such as the Mimosa Project demonstrate how this heritage of proximity and trust can be translated into a greater capacity for listening, guidance and collaboration with territorial services, helping to strengthen the network of protection and to make more accessible the paths dedicated to women’, says Andrea Mandelli, President of the Federation of Italian Pharmacists Orders.
‘The Mimosa Lombardy Project confirms the role pharmacies can play in contrast to violence against women. The pharmacy is often the first proximity health care station to which people turn: an accessible, recognizable and present in a capillary way in the neighborhoods, in the small municipalities and in the peripheral areas. nThis daily closeness allows pharmacists to intercept situations of fragility, listen discreetly and direct women towards the most appropriate help routes, in conjunction with the competent territorial services. The pharmacists do not replace the antiviolence centers or specialized operators, but they can become a trained and aware ring of the support network, offering discreet listening, correct information and guidance to the competent services. Lombardy, with this experimentation, represents a national laboratory of good practice, enhancing the pharmacy of communities as a place of health, trust and social responsibility,’ says Clara Mottinelli, National Treasurer of Federfarma and Delegata Regional Pharmaciste together.
‘Lombarde pharmacies constitute a widespread and deeply rooted network in local communities, with over 3,000 active exercises on the regional territory. The Mimosa Project enhances this proximity by turning it into a concrete resource at the service of a cause of great social importance. Through this initiative a structured network of support, listening and guidance for women victims of violence is born, strengthening in the same way the collaboration between pharmacies, institutions and territorial services,” says Annarosa Racca, President of Federfarma Lombardia.
‘For over fifteen years the Mimosa Project has valued the social function of the pharmacy. Today, with the Lombard pilot project, a further step is taken with the construction of a real territorial network that brings together institutions, health professionals, associations, the world of sport and the Third Sector. The strength of this project is a simple intuition: bringing help to places that people attend every day. Pharmacies are presìdi proximity, points of reference, places where a relationship of trust between citizens and healthcare professionals is created. Often the pharmacist is one of the first people to whom it is addressed when you live a situation of difficulty. It is a figure that listens, that observes, that can seize signals that others do not see. And this is precisely what makes pharmacies a valuable tool in the prevention and contrast of violence,” says Federico Romani, President of the Regional Council of Lombardy.
‘I immediately shared and supported the Mimosa Project both for the social role of pharmacies within the health world and for the value of the initiative to protect women victims of violence. Pharmacies and pharmacists have represented the times of Covid a fundamental point of reference for families and communities: having them now as a point of first listening to these women is an incredibly important idea that shows how subsidiarity remains the best way to achieve such great goals. We as institutions have the duty to accompany and support these projects to develop and give them life. I thank therefore all the protagonists who have allowed this network to start their journey,’ says Claudia Carzeri, Regional Councillor of Lombardy.
‘For Regione Lombardia prevention and contrast to violence against women are a priority of the mandate. This is why we are working daily to consolidate a social alliance between citizens, institutions, the Third sector that can work in support of women by offering services and concrete actions. The project Mimosa Lombardia strengthens the territorial network by involving pharmacies, fundamental pretexts of proximity to intercept situations of fragility and directing women towards paths of help. An initiative of value able to put in the center competences and humanity of pharmacists because “You are not alone” means helping women to help the whole community,” says Elena Lucchini, Family Councillor, Social Solidarity, Disability and Equal Opportunities Region Lombardy.
‘The Niguarda Hospital Foundation has adhered with conviction to the Project Mimosa Lombardy, because it believes that the protection of the most fragile people passes through a strong network between hospital, territory and institutions. ER often represents the first place of access for women who live situations of violence, even before a complaint or a request for help. Strengthening dialogue with pharmacies means making this network even closer, faster and more effective, always focusing on the person and his dignity,” says Riccardo Bertollini, Secretary General of the Niguarda Hospital Foundation. ‘The Orders of Nursing Professions are particularly attentive to the theme of gender volence. Of the more than 460 thousand members of the Albo, three nurses on four are women and we feel strong the responsibility to put into place all the policies active to counter aggressive attitudes towards them, in business and domestic contexts,” says Barbara Mangiacavallo, President National Federation of Nurses FNOPI.
‘General medical doctors represent one of the main access points to the National Health Service and accompany people throughout their entire life, building with patients a trusted relationship that often allows early intercepting situations of fragility. This is why FIMMG adheres with conviction to the Project Mimosa Lombardia and the Board Insieme Lab. Gender violence is a complex phenomenon that requires an integrated response, based on the collaboration between all health professionals and the network of territorial services. Working together with pharmacies, institutions and other realities involved means strengthening the ability to listen, guide and take charge of women, helping to build a network of proximity ever more effective, accessible and close to people’s needs,” says Anna Pozzi, FIMMG Lombardia.
‘IUISP adheres with conviction to the Mimosa Project because contrast to violence on women requires a shared responsibility and a network of proximity capable of listening, preventing and accompanying. The collaboration between pharmacies and social sports, as demonstrated by significant experiences made together in recent years, generates health, well-being and social cohesion. Today we are ready to make available our network of local associations to strengthen this alliance and contribute together to the construction of more attentive, inclusive communities capable of protecting women’s rights and freedoms,” says Tiziano Pesce, National President UISP. The experience of ANDI – National Association of Italian Dentists on the theme of gender violence was born from the project ‘Odontoiatra/Dentista Sentinella’, conceived in 2015 and subsequently evolved until the signing of the Protocol of Understanding with the Minister for the Family, the birth and equal opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, in February 2025.
– photo press office Regional Council Lombardy –
(ITALPRESS).
