"The law, backed by the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni, comes in response to a series of killings and other violence targeting women in Italy. It includes stronger measures against gender-based crimes including stalking and revenge porn. High-profile cases, such as the 2023 murder of university student Giulia Cecchettin, have been key in widespread public outcry and debate about the causes of violence against women in Italy's patriarchal culture."
""We have doubled funding for anti-violence centers and shelters, promoted an emergency hotline and implemented innovative education and awareness-raising activities," Meloni said Tuesday. "These are concrete steps forward, but we won't stop here. We must continue to do much more, every day.""
Italy's Lower Chamber approved a law introducing femicide into criminal law and punishing it with life in prison, winning bipartisan support with 237 votes in favor. The vote coincided with the U.N. international day for the elimination of violence against women. The law expands penalties for gender-based crimes such as stalking and revenge porn and is backed by Premier Giorgia Meloni's government. The government reports doubled funding for anti-violence centers, a promoted emergency hotline, and education and awareness activities. The center-left stressed that the measure focuses on criminal penalties while economic and cultural divides remain unaddressed. Italy's statistics agency Istat recorded 106 femicides in 2024, 62 committed by partners or former partners. A proposed government law would ban sexual and emotional education for elementary students and require explicit parental consent for high school lessons; the ruling coalition defends the measure as protection from ideological activism.
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