For Disability Pride Palermo 2025, the organising civil society stakeholders held The city we want, an informative day to discuss accessibility, inclusion, and the rights of people with disabilities. Holding its first meeting on this occasion, the Sex-Ed and Wellbeing Council brought together professionals from different backgrounds and representatives of local associations.
A CESIE ETS initiative that is part of the BOTTOM-UP TALKS project, the Council started the meeting on 20 September with a photo projection of Salvatore Maraventano’s project, which gave voice and visibility to people with disabilities, portrayed in their daily lives and full autonomy. The initiative allowed participants to express themselves first-hand by choosing how they wished to be represented.
The Council showcased its work and connected with activists, third-sector organisations, and local decision-makers – including Arcigay Palermo, Non Una di Meno Palermo, Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci, Libreria Europa, and the Diritto a stare bene (Right to being well) campaign.
The discussion highlighted the connection between emotional and sexual education, inclusion, and rights, emphasising the importance of directly involving people with disabilities in developing educational pathways that are truly effective and free from stereotypes.
A particularly powerful moment was dedicated to the right to sexual health for people with disabilities, with the presentation of the Diritto a stare bene campaign, which calls for the formal recognition of the role of Affection and Sexuality Support Operator (OAS) – still a taboo topic in Italy today.
The meeting concluded with the screening of Be Inclusive #5, a video by Katarina Vuksan, from CSC Danilo Dolci, which explores the right to work and dignity for people with disabilities through an interview with the president of Disability Pride, Caterina Gambino.
Next steps
The Council’s first meeting confirmed the importance of building a multidisciplinary local network to promote education, wellbeing, and equal opportunities for everyone. A key tool for collaboration and co-design, networks enable the sharing of skills, experiences, and perspectives, and generate more effective and inclusive responses to community needs.
Continuing to build spaces for dialogue and cooperation between professionals, associations, and institutions means strengthening a culture of inclusion, respect, and awareness, while also creating concrete alliances that can influence educational and social policies in the territory.
These networks will also support efforts to engage young people, school staff, and families, promoting the implementation of sexual and emotional education in schools and contributing to the creation of more welcoming, aware, and participatory learning environments.
Would you like to join the Council?
If you are an association, a youth movement, or a professional working with children and young people, and you are interested in sexual education, emotional development, and rights, write to us or follow @thegendertalkeu to learn more about upcoming initiatives.
About BOTTOM-UP TALKS
BOTTOM-UP TALKS – Preventing teen-dating and school-related gender-based violence and promoting psychological well-being from the bottom-up is funded by CERV-2024-DAPHNE programme.
Partners
- CESIE ETS (Italy, Coordinator)
- C.O.I.R.A.G. ETS – Confederazione di Organizzazioni Italiane per la Ricerca Analitica sui Gruppi (Italy)
- KMOP – Kentro Merimnas Oikogeneias Kai Paidiou (Greece)
- CSI – Center for Social Innovation (Cyprus)
- House of Diversity Education (Lithuania)
- FEA – Femmes Entraide et Autonomie (France)
For further information
Read more on the project fact sheet, visit www.thegendertalk.eu, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Contact Ruta Grigaliunaite: ruta.grigaliunaite@cesie.org.