The Italian Chamber unanimously approved a measure to combat violence against women on Tuesday, with 521 votes in favor.
The measure, which now goes to the senate, includes a provision asking the Italian government to “restore and implement the fund supporting the national action plan against violence against women in every form and expression”.
Italian Equal Opportunity Minister Josefa Idem said on Tuesday, “Tackling a social and cultural phenomenon of such a vast scale as violence against women requires financial resources from the State and territorial entities, and on this front, I intend to commit myself to find lasting forms of financing, even from Europe, that will especially permit anti-violence centres to ensure adequate assistance to women victims of violence”.
Tuesday’s measure also approved the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. If the 2011 treaty is also approved by the Italian senate, it will be ratified in Italy.
The treaty characterizes violence against women as a form of discrimination and as a violation of human rights.
It also defines a number of punishable crimes against women, including psychological violence, stalking, physical violence, sexual violence and rape, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, forced abortion, forced sterilization, and sexual harassment. The Instanbul Convention gained political momentum in Italy after Chamber speaker Laura Boldrini revealed that since she had been elected to lead the Chamber earlier this year, she had become the target of a widespread threats and grotesque photomontages on the Internet.
Equal Opportunity Minister Josefa Idem, appointed in April, expressed solidarity for Boldrini and became a standard bearer pushing for new policies to combat violence against women.