Italy defends the need to protect women’s freedom

Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, on Tuesday (25) defended the need to protect women’s freedom on a daily basis, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni strongly condemned gender-based violence, highlighting the urgent need to take concrete action against the problem.

These statements came in messages issued on the occasion of the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,” which is celebrated annually on November 25, to denounce the attacks on women around the world and demand policies aimed at eliminating them.

According to Mattarella, despite progress, “the principle of equality still takes time to assert itself in many areas of social and private life, in homes, workplaces and urban spaces,” limiting women’s autonomy, threatening their security and “impoverishing the progress of society.”

The Italian President also highlighted the seriousness of attacks in contexts of armed conflict, where “violence against women is used as a tool of intimidation and repression,” and warned of the increasing prevalence of violations facilitated by the digital sphere.

“The humiliation, blackmail and coercion amplified by social networks have effects that are not at all hypothetical,” he added, noting that in extreme cases, these behaviors can lead to physical assault and murder of women. “Violations leave deep scars on the body and mind.”

Mattarella also emphasized the role of language in perpetuating stereotypes and relations of domination: “Equality means, above all, teaching the language of respect.”

Moreover, the Italian President referred to the 65th anniversary of the murder of the Mirabal sisters? They were tortured and murdered on November 25, 1960 by Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, noting that their courage “continues to inspire entire generations.”

Meloni declared that “violence against women is an act against everyone’s freedom,” and classified the phenomenon as “unbearable,” stressing the government’s commitment to combating it “tirelessly.”

The Italian Prime Minister listed some of the measures that have been adopted in recent years, such as tightening sentences and strengthening the “red law” and prevention tools, in addition to increasing the resources allocated to reception structures.

“We have doubled funding for anti-violence centers and shelters, improved and streamlined Freedom Income (for victims), rolled out 1522 (helpline), and encouraged innovative education and awareness activities,” he said.

However, Meloni stressed that despite these “concrete steps”, the work must continue. “We will not stop here. We must continue to do more, every day. To protect, prevent and support.”

Finally, he stressed that the goal is “to build an Italy where no woman feels alone, threatened or discredited,” mainly because “women’s freedom and dignity is a duty for the state and a responsibility for everyone.”