The Mediobanca Group is supporting women refugees and asylum seekers in conjunction with UNHCR
Mediobanca has adhered to the UNHCR programme to protect women refugees and asylum seekers at risk of gender based violence in Italy
The Mediobanca Group has launched a partnership with the UNHCR, the UN agency that works on behalf of refugees, supporting an integrated programme to protect women refugees and asylum seekers at risk of gender based violence (GBV) in Italy.
This choice is consistent with the Group’s commitment to inclusion and diversity issues, which it has supported in recent years with different projects aimed at building an inclusive culture, in the workplace and the communities where it operates.
The primary objective of the UNHCR programme supported by Mediobanca is to guarantee that all persons who have survived or are at risk of gender based violence have safe and quick access to healthcare and psychological services, to legal aid, and then, to support in approaching the job market. The need in this area is increasing as a result of the escalation of new conflicts and humanitarian crises in the course of 2022, which has led to a significant increase in the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Italy.
The UNHCR has estimated that at year-end 2022, it had around 400,000 people under its care in Italy. These include people who have arrived here after fleeing from the war in Ukraine, of whom there are over 173,000 and the majority of whom are women (53.3%).
The number of people arriving in Italy by sea has also increased in 2023, 11% of whom are women.
In particular, the Mediobanca Group will invest, together with UNHCR, in the training of 1,600 professionals who will offer qualified support to victims of violence, at the same time raising awareness among 3,250 women of issues relating to gender based violence. These initiatives will be complemented by psychological, medical and legal support which will be provided to 1,300 women at risk or who have survived gender based violence.
“Respect for human rights and promoting inclusion are both pillars of our Group ESG Policy”, said Alberto Nagel, CEO of Mediobanca. “Supporting this important protection programme alongside UNHCR enables us to renew our commitment to support the most fragile and vulnerable members of society, in accordance with the principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that are an integral part of our ‘One Brand One Culture’ Strategic Plan.”
”We are delighted to have Mediobanca stand with us to strengthen our support for female refugees and asylum seekers who have survived gender based violence. Through this project many more women will be able to access the services they need much more quickly, and so begin to finally take charge of their own futures”, said Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR representative for Italy, the Vatican City and San Marino.
Milan, 7 September 2023
