World Day Against Violence Against Women, the Giro’s commitment

The Giro d’Italia and the Giro d’Italia Women mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by bringing together three voices and three different perspectives: the advocacy work of The Cyclists’ Alliance in protecting and representing female athletes, the testimony of Italian singer Malika Ayane and the Una, Nessuna, Centomila foundation, and the participatory project “Write to Change It,” whose Wall of Voices brings the public together in a collective message of awareness and change.

Blacking: "Women can create an alternative life for themselves in cycling"

Women are essential to cycling. They have long been confined to the shadows of men, but today they are receiving the recognition their achievements on two wheels deserve. The Giro d’Italia Women is a benchmark event that will soon be celebrating its 40th anniversary, and Milano-Sanremo Donne made its comeback in 2025, shortly after the Tour de France Femmes. Female riders are taking their place, and the cycling world has learned to respect and showcase them. But they still face discrimination and gender-based violence.

Every year, 25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. To mark the occasion, Deena Blacking, interim managing director of The Cyclists’ Alliance, takes stock of the situation and puts forward her ideas for establishing clear boundaries, supporting victims and creating a healthy environment.

The world of cycling has, in recent years, made significant progress when it comes to including, respecting and promoting female athletes. Has this development also allowed to build a safe environment for women in cycling? “To agree with you, cycling has improved greatly over the years for women. If you see footage and stories from the 1980s and ’90s, you see the explicit and completely unacceptable discrimination women were subject to. And today, most of this discrimination and harassment is gone, but it still exists. For example, at The Cyclists’ Alliance, we conduct the largest annual survey of the women’s peloton every year. And In 2025, when we asked riders if they experienced any ethical violations, 14% responded to say that they had.”

These experiences come in many forms. Can you maybe give us a sense of the type of situations that women may face in the world of cycling? “I think it’s important to highlight that many of the women in today’s pro peloton don’t experience the kinds of things that we would campaign against on this day. I think often it’s more psychological harm that women experience. Often, the thing that makes sport unsafe is when there is a culture of silence or when athletes are discouraged from speaking up or asking questions. Cycling is a sport where harm and suffering are normalised. And so sometimes it’s difficult in the sport to help athletes draw the line between where they should suffer and where they shouldn’t have to suffer.”

We also know that many cases of gender-based violences are not brought to justice. How do you encourage women to take action when they are victims? “There are two different ways a cyclist can immediately speak up. One is they can contact our ethics officer, confidentially, and her details are available on our website. Another is they can anonymously get in touch with the UCI via the SpeakUp platform. And then more generally, we provide education and mentoring for athletes in order to give them the courage to speak up and also to give them knowledge that helps them understand where they should and shouldn’t accept certain behaviours from other people. Last year, we did a campaign called “It’s Right to Say No“, just to remind women in cycling that they’re allowed to boundaries.”

Some cases have come to light in recent years, what do they tell us about the specific environment of cycling? “I think it’s important to recognise that, according to our last survey, the average age of a female cyclist is 25 or 26. Often, they’re in a very intense work environment, and maybe they haven’t known any other work environment. My observation as someone who worked in a different environment is that there are lots of things in sport that are accepted that would not be accepted in an office environment. And often these young women, whether or not they’re cyclists, they don’t necessarily yet have the confidence in life as an adult to speak up for themselves, particularly in a situation where they don’t know any different. They are in the power imbalance of being one athlete with one position in a team, knowing that there are many other athletes who could replace them. So it’s a very difficult position for a young female cyclist to be in, which is why it’s so important for us to educate.”

Cycling is also celebrated for its values. What do you see in the sport that aligns with the fight against gender inequalities? “Sport, whether at the Olympics or in your local club, can help to give women a sense of self and confidence which, in turn, brings independence and empowerment. It is an equaliser and it allows women to demonstrate that they can also be strong and athletic and win. It’s also important to note that we’re speaking from a European perspective, where that journey might be challenging, but there’s not so many barriers, whereas, for example, I’ve also worked with several young female cyclists in African countries who may face different challenges. We can use cycling to help these women defy societal expectations of getting married and having children because they can demonstrate to their family and friends that they are strong, competitive, and they can create an alternative life for themselves in cycling.”

To sum it up, what is the message you would like to see the world of cycling carry on a day like 25 November? “I think it’s the same thing that we advocate for as an organisation: the more we look after each other, care for each other, and work together, the stronger we all are. So it’s in everyone’s interest to look after everyone else for everyone’s benefit. And on the other end, if you see anything that’s wrong, call it out and help that person.”

Malika Ayane Meets the Giro: United Against Violence Toward Women

Music and cycling might seem like two parallel roads – distant, each with its own rhythm and audience. Yet, when it comes to fighting violence against women, these worlds draw closer, often overlapping. This is shown through the voice of Malika Ayane, an artist long involved with the Una, Nessuna, Centomila foundation, who shares with the Giro d’Italia and Giro d’Italia Women the desire to turn visibility and popularity into tools for raising awareness.

For Malika, bringing different languages and communities together isn’t just helpful – it’s essential. “Today it’s increasingly important to unite different worlds, even those that seem far apart, to keep the topic alive. We need to normalize the idea of not normalizing this phenomenon,” she says. It’s a call to never lower our attention and never let violence become something we remember only on anniversaries.

Her words reveal a vivid image – cycling as a metaphor for the three phases many women experience when leaving violent situations: resistance, struggle, rebirth. “More than values, I see these as phases that especially mirror the work done by anti-violence centers. They’re the ones who take care of everything… until the moment the woman can return to her life and become a pillar for other women,” she explains.

The role of the foundation, she says, is to make noise – shining a light on what too often remains hidden, so that public support can turn into concrete help. The Giro d’Italia, passing through both major cities and small towns, has a unique storytelling power: it enters the daily lives of people. “It’s so important that messages like these reach everywhere. Every geographic reality needs a different approach,” Malika points out, recalling how closeness to local communities – whether on a music tour or along a stage of the Corsa Rosa– is one of the most effective ways to build awareness. Visibility, however, is only the beginning. What truly matters is the ability to turn a national topic into local, targeted, real action.

She also notes how stereotypes and pressure on women cut across all fields – not just sports and entertainment. “We see it every day: in the end, it’s the woman who’s expected to make sacrifices. But change is happening… we simply need to stay focused on what we can do”. It’s a call for collective responsibility: to avoid slipping into empty complaints and instead work step by step toward a more equitable culture.

And the message Malika leaves the Giro’s audience with is simple and powerful: “We all need to ask ourselves what we can do to make this world better. You don’t need to be a revolutionary. sometimes it’s enough to support anti-violence centers, listen to those around you, step in when you can”. For her, it’s essential that the world of sport chooses to speak up, to take a stand.
“I’m glad that so many sporting events are committing to this issue. It’s crucial to take the problem out of context and raise awareness everywhere”.

In an Italy facing a complex and urgent cultural battle every day, uniting the voice of a major artist with the popular force of the Giro d’Italia reminds millions that violence against women is not a distant topic – it’s a shared responsibility.

Write to Change It: Giro d’Italia Gives Voice to Change

The Giro d’Italia and the Giro d’Italia Women – two of RCS Sport’s most iconic events and symbols of Italian sport worldwide – turn 25 November into a moment of collective participation.

With Write to Change It, the Wall of Voices takes shape: a public installation inviting people to play an active role in a shared message against violence toward women. A large white backdrop will gradually fill with colorful post-its – words, drawings, and thoughts expressing something to let go of (Let It Go), a hope (Hope), or a message of strength (Strength) for those experiencing a difficult moment.

The initiative underscores the Corsa Rosa’s commitment to social responsibility, linking the values of sport – respect, fairness, and fair play – with a topic of deep cultural importance. Write to Change It builds a community that participates, expresses itself, and recognizes itself, giving a voice to those who are often unheard and turning the desire for change into a simple yet meaningful gesture.

Watch the video: Write to Change It

Relive the ‘Write to Change It’ campaign dedicated to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.