Italy’s PM Meloni champions ‘family values.’ But critics say she’s doing little to protect women from violence
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Meloni has been vocal about celebrating and championing “traditional family values.” However, many critics are pointing to her lack of action to protect Italian women from domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence.
According to a 2020 report from Amnesty International, Italy ranks among the “worst countries when it comes to the protection of women’s rights” in the European Union (EU). Furthermore, Italy’s domestic and sexual violence victims are often hindered from accessing justice, with courts often acquitting defendants in cases of violence and abuse. This can mean women are left unable to protect themselves, while their abusers remain at large.
In 2019 Meloni introduced the legislative decree Ministerial Decree 11/11/19 n. 259 that makes several changes to penal codes related to gender violence. This decree adopted the “coercive control” domestic violence law, naming coercive acts of intimidation and social control as criminal offenses. It also officially sanctioned the use of restraining orders against people who have threatened another person’s wellbeing, both physically and psychologically.
However, critics of the bill, including the Ending Violence Association, maintain that it “ignored the call for a comprehensive understanding of gender violence and a focus on prevention.” In other words, Meloni is being criticized for not doing enough to protect women from violence in Italy.