Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
first of all, let me thank the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Republic of Cyprus for organizing and co-sponsoring this side event.
We are gathered here today to address a grave and urgent matter: the global crisis of femicide.
And this is a global crisis: every year, thousands of women and girls, in every corner of the world, are murdered because of their sex. These lives, stolen in the most brutal ways, leave behind shattered families, broken communities, and a world impoverished by the loss of their potential and promise.
The fight against femicide is not just a matter of protecting women; it is a fight for the very values we uphold as an international community: justice, meaning equal opportunities, and the right to live free from violence. Together, we must address the root causes of femicide.
This is what Italy has been doing over the last years, acting on many fronts to prevent and eliminate violence against women, protect its victims and their children, and prosecute perpetrators, while seeking to realize that profound and long-lasting cultural change our society needs to eradicate violence and stop this crisis.
Dear Colleagues,
I am particularly proud to announce today that, just last week, the Italian Government passed a landmark bill proposing the introduction of femicide as a distinct and specific offence in the Italian Criminal Code. The bill is currently being presented to the Parliament for discussion and provides for that: “Whoever causes the death of a woman, when the act is committed as an act of discrimination or hatred towards the victim because she is a woman, or to repress the exercise of her rights or freedoms, or, in any case, the expression of her personality, is punished with life sentence”. Once adopted by the Parliament, the provision will further strengthen the already advanced Italian legislative framework on violence against women and girls and is expected to strongly contribute to that cultural change necessary to finally eradicate violence once and for all.
Moreover, in November 2023, the Italian Parliament had already unanimously passed a specific law increasing the penalties for crimes related to domestic violence and establishing special protection measures for victims and precautionary measures, including the use of the electronic bracelet for perpetrators.
Talking about cultural change, we are strongly convinced that the unbalanced relationships between women and men that underpin violence against women start already at a very young age. In this regard, with a view to promoting the values of equality and mutual respect between women and men among students, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities, the Minister of Education and Merit, and the Minister of Culture. As part of this Memorandum, a Call for proposals was published in 2024 for the shooting, by students, of short videos on violence against women with the best videos being awarded during the Venice International Film Festival; a new call for proposals for 2025 has been published recently.
The Italian Government also attaches particular importance to a specific aspect of violence against women, which is often under-recognized and underestimated: economic violence. In this regard, Italy has confirmed and made permanent the so-called ‘Freedom Income for women victims of violence’, an economic contribution supporting victims for 12 months.
Italy has chosen to support and empower victims by acknowledging and valuing their talent through entrepreneurship, and establishing the so-called ‘Freedom Microcredit’, a financial tool to support victims of violence assisted by Anti-Violence Centers in their path towards economic independence.
These two measures were chosen by UN Women among the 16 global best practices on GBV that are being presented during this week.
Our Government has also prioritized the training of all professionals who interact with victims of violence against women. In this regard, a White Paper on Training has been recently published to enhance the skills and knowledge of those working in this critical field.
Dear Colleagues,
looking forward, Italy is currently in the process of adopting its new National Strategic Plan on Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. We will aim not only to punish those responsible, but also to send a powerful message that Italy will not stand by while its daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends are subjected to such unspeakable horrors and that violence against women will never be tolerated in our country.
Thank you.
