"Are you okay? Ask for help at the information desks": purple stickers and monitors show from today that Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport wants to offer concrete support to women victims of harassment and violence by becoming the first “Purple Point” (“Punto Viola”) airport.

The project to make Rome Fiumicino Airport a Purple Point, carried out in recent months in collaboration with the DONNEXSTRADA Association, is a decisive step in ADR's strategy to raise awareness and promote direct action on the issue of gender violence.

Women in difficulty will find four points to turn to inside the airport:

• Two information desks at Terminal 1 (one before and one after security checks).

• Two information desks at Terminal 3 (one before and one after security checks).

The achievement of this goal has involved numerous operators in addition to information desk staff, and in recent months approximately 60 people from airport personnel - airport operations staff, emergency room staff and occupational medicine specialists, including 40 women - have participated in a special training programme. Each participant followed a structured path, during which experts in the sector offered psychological training to deal with situations of distress with empathy and sensitivity and provide initial emotional and legal support, to clarify the actions to be taken and the protections provided by law.

The personnel involved has been provided with knowledge and practical tools to recognise and manage cases of harassment or violence and approach victims and witnesses with great care, especially in the first aid phase.

With this initiative, ADR has set itself a clear objective: to further raise the awareness and readiness of the airport community for action in favour of the safety and well-being of all those who transit or work in airports, especially women.

“We have always felt the responsibility to ensure that our airports are safe and welcoming places in all respects for anyone who passes through them or works in them, especially women in vulnerable situations”, Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, explained. “This is why last year we made a commitment to make Fiumicino airport a Purple Point and today we officially celebrate the result of this concrete action aimed at promoting respect and active support. This a way to translate the values ​​of Aeroporti di Roma into actions, in support the population, travellers and the numerous Police Force agents who everyday work efficaciously for the airport community. This achievement is a source of great pride for us and we are grateful to all our people who, with dedication, have embraced and cooperated to realise this project”.

“As DONNEXSTRADA we continue to pursue our goal: to raise awareness and educate as many people as possible on key issues related to violence and harassment. The airport is a place where so many people pass through and for this reason creating this project with Aeroporti di Roma is precious for us because it creates a necessary network to provide important information to make people aware and, above all, free to choose” declared Ilaria Saliva, president of DonneXStrada.

The Purple Point is a further step in a broader path that Aeroporti di Roma has undertaken, consolidating its commitment to combating gender violence. This initiative is part of a series of concrete actions, including support for local associations that offer listening and assistance to women in difficulty; such a commitment that is constantly growing and that aims to promote respect, support and safety, within both the airports and the surrounding communities. By becoming a Purple Point, Aeroporti di Roma confirms its intention to be an active player in cultural change, making safety and respect for women a daily goal to build a more aware and supportive community.