DonneXStrada: we create places of trust against violence

The first purple dot of the Romagna Riviera is the Daily Dose Coffee & Cocktails by Daniele Manucci and Francesco Esposito in Riccione. What is a Purple Dot? A place that women recognize as safe, a place that gives them confidence and security on their way home, but which can also be a place to report violence and ask for help.

The purple points are the initiative of the DonneXStrada association to make cities safe places for women. The goal is to stop fear by making the world a place for women. Every business or commercial premises that decides to become a purple point is trained, with all its staff, by the association’s team of psychologists and lawyers in order to become a reference point for a woman who is in imminent danger or who feels in constant danger at home.

At the presentation Laura De Dilectis, vice president of DonneXstrada and Beatrice Antonelli, responsible for legal support, explain that it is not just a question of safety, for example in returning home in the evening. «The bar is also an everyday place, a place where you usually enter, with well-known people, making sure that these people are able to handle a difficult situation or indicate legal support makes it a perfect place to help women».

The same goes for pharmacies, but also any shop or local. Becoming a purple dot is very simple, just fill out the form on the site Donnexstrada.org. Those who decide to do so are prepared with two hours of training to be able to help women on a psychological and legal level, to recognize situations of danger and violence and know how to advise, “give tools and sensitivity”. All those in charge of the purple points have contacts to give to those in difficulty: teams of psychologists, lawyers and anti-violence centres.

«When we opened the Daily Dose, one of my goals was and still is, to do something for the area. DonneXstrada’s mission struck me right away. Giving a proactive signal to counter violence against women by increasing safety and education, passing the baton to those who want to contribute to the cause. Daily Dose becomes the first purple dot on the Riviera, an area that has often experienced unpleasant episodes in recent years» explains Daniele Manucci. The goal is for there to be as many purple dots in every city as to create safe paths for women, on the roads, but also in choosing to report.