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PROTESTS

Tens of thousands march against gender-based violence in Rome

Italy was shocked by the recent murder of 22-year-old student, Giulia Cecchettin, allegedly at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. On Saturday, some 50,000 people took to the street in Rome to demonstrate against violence against women.

Published: 25 November 2023 19:19 CET
Tens of thousands march against gender-based violence in Rome
People attend a march to protest against violence against women in Rome (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

Worldwide marches were organised on Saturday to mark the UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

In Italy, which is still reeling from the gruesome murder of a 22-year-old biomedical engineering student, allegedly by her former boyfriend, the occasion felt especially poignant.

The body of Giulia Cecchettin was found earlier this month in a gully near Lake Barcis, about 120 kilometres north of Venice, her head and neck covered with stab wounds. Her ex-boyfriend was arrested in Germany a week later. 

Some 50,000 people protested in Rome on Saturday, with the Colosseum lit-up in red. 

“This year… takes on particularly important connotations for us… for those in this country who care about the rights, claims and emancipation of all women, following yet another femicide, the killing of Giulia Cecchettin”, said Luisa Loduce, a 22-year-old librarian who attended the march.

READ ALSO: Almost half of Italian women report suffering sexual harassment

In the year to November 12, there have been 102 murder cases with female victims in Italy, 82 of whom were killed by family members or current or former partners, according to the Interior Ministry. This compares with 51 killed by their partner or ex partner in the same period of 2022, and around 70 in both 2021 and 2020.

Womens’ rights campaigners say attitudes must change in Italy, where cases of violent crimes committed against women by their partners or ex-partners are often portrayed in the media as tragic stories of love gone sour, with the killers described as “jealous”.

Earlier this week, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced new measures were on the way to tackle Italy’s problem with violence against women.

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill drafted by Family and Equal Opportunities and Family Minister Eugenia Roccella which would strengthen restraining orders and introduce heightened surveillance on men found guilty of gender-based violence. 

The Education Minister also announced this week that Italian schools will “to address the issue of sexism, machismo and psychological and physical violence against women,” in a bid to prevent femicide. 

READ MORE Italian schools to tackle ‘machismo and sexism’ after student’s murder

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EU

Italy’s Meloni hopes EU ‘understands message’ from voters

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Saturday she hoped the European Union would understand the "message" sent by voters in last weekend's elections, after far-right parties such as hers made gains.

Published: 15 June 2024 17:33 CEST
Italy's Meloni hopes EU 'understands message' from voters

Meloni, head of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, which performed particularly well in the vote, urged the EU to “understand the message that has come from European citizens”.

“Because if we want to draw lessons from the vote that everything was fine, I fear it would be a slightly distorted reading,” she told a press conference at the end of a G7 summit in Puglia.

“European citizens are calling for pragmatism, they are calling for an approach that is much less ideological on several major issues,” she said.

Meloni’s right-wing government coalition has vehemently opposed the European Green Deal and wants a harder stance on migration.

“Citizens vote for a reason. It seems to me that a message has arrived, and it has arrived clearly,” she said.

EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Monday to negotiate the top jobs, including whether European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen will get a second term.

Von der Leyen’s centre-right European People’s Party strengthened its grip with the vote, but her reconfirmation is not yet in the bag.

The 65-year-old conservative was in Puglia for the G7 and likely used the summit to put her case to the leaders of France, Germany and Italy.

But Meloni refused to be drawn on whom she is backing.

“We will have a meeting on Monday, we’ll see,” she told journalists.

“We will also see what the evaluations will be on the other top roles,” she said.

Italian political watchers say Meloni is expected to back von der Leyen, but is unlikely to confirm that openly until Rome locks in a deal on commissioner jobs.

“What interests me is that… Italy is recognised for the role it deserves,” she said.

“I will then make my assessments.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani indicated that it was unlikely any decision would be made before the French elections on June 30 and July 7.

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