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The number of women murdered in Italy in the first half of 2020 increased from 56 to 59 compared to the same period in 2019. And around the world, limited movements, social isolation and economic insecurity caused by Covid- 19 contribute to increasing the vulnerability of women and domestic violence
November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The anniversary was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1999, based on the fact that violence against women is a violation of human rights. Globally, one of the leading causes of death for women aged 16 to 44 is murder by known persons, such as husbands, partners, partners or ex-partners. Violence often takes place within the home, as evidenced by the increase in cases seen since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The story of the day
deepening
Violence against women, 9 out of 10 girls do not feel safe
The date of November 25 was chosen in memory of the brutal murder of the three Mirabal sisters, considered an example of revolutionary women for the commitment with which they tried to oppose the regime of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo (1930-1961), the dictator that occupied the Republic Dominican. overdue for more than 30 years. On November 25, 1960, while on their way to visit their husbands in prison, they were stopped on the road by agents of the Military Intelligence Service. Taken to a hidden location, they were raped, tortured, butchered with sticks and strangled, only to be thrown off a cliff in their car to simulate an accident.
The figures of violence in Italy
According to Istat, one in three women has suffered some type of violence throughout her life, especially in the family. In Italy, around 7 million women between the ages of 16 and 70 have suffered physical (20.2%) or sexual (21%) violence, from harassment to attempted murder or rape (5.4%). The perpetrators of the most serious violence are mainly partners or former partners (62.7%). The majority of strangers commit sexual harassment (76.8%). The available data underestimate the magnitude of the phenomenon: as reported by Istat, only 12% of violence is reported.
The data after the first lock
The period of confinement has seen a drop in the total number of murders, but not of femicides. It is one of the most significant data that emerges from the report prepared by the Criminal Analysis Service of the Directorate of Criminal Police, published by the Italian Ministry of the Interior. The document analyzes the trend of crimes attributable to gender violence in the period between January and June 2020, compared to the same period of the previous year. Voluntary homicides were down 19% from last year (from 161 to 131). However, female victims are increasing (from 56 to 59): if in January-June 2019 they accounted for 35% of homicides, in 2020 the incidence was 45%. The same trend as regards homicides in the family / affective context, which, although decreasing compared to last year (from 73 to 69), shows an increase in the incidence over the total (from 45% to 53%). Also in this area, female victims are increasing (from 45 to 53), increasing the incidence of the total (from 62% to 77%). Finally, murders committed by partners or former partners increased (from 32 to 36).
ActionAid monitoring anti-violence centers
The ActionAid association has disseminated the monitoring of anti-violence centers and the funds allocated to the sector. During the first lockdown, after an initial collapse, the number of aid requests to 1,522, between March and June 2020, more than doubled compared to 2019, with 15,280 requests (+ 119.6%). At the same time, in Lombardy, for example, there was a strong reduction in staff in the CAVs due to the reduction by half of the number of volunteers – generally of medium-high age and therefore at risk of contagion – and due to the disease or quarantine of operators. In addition, according to ActionAid, the Centers were forced to work exhausting shifts, as in the case of the province of Cremona, which expanded its availability 24 hours a day with a human resource reduced by 50%. For 2019, the Department of Equal Opportunities has allocated 30 million euros among the Regions, of which 20 million will go to the ordinary operation of shelters and anti-violence centers and 10 million to the anti-violence plan. However, ActionAid notes that after six months, only five Regions have disbursed the funds, and to date, the DPO has not issued any decree for the 2020 anti-violence funds.
The situation in the world
According to reports from UN Women, the UN body for gender equality and the empowerment of women, 35% of women worldwide have suffered some form of physical or sexual violence. Telephone calls to emergency numbers have increased fivefold in some countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Restricted movement, social isolation and economic insecurity contribute to the vulnerability of women and domestic violence around the world. 137 women are killed every day by a relative. According to the latest available data, it is estimated that of the 87,000 women murdered worldwide, more than half (about 50,000) were murdered by partners or relatives. More than a third (around 30 thousand) of the current or former partner. Fewer than 40% of women who experience violence seek help of any kind, and those who do almost always turn to friends or family: less than 10% turn to the police. At least 155 countries have passed laws on domestic violence and 140 on sexual harassment in the workplace. However, even when they do exist, it does not mean that they conform to international standards or are implemented and enforced. Finally, in 2019, one in five women between the ages of 20 and 24 were married before the age of 18, and at least 200 million women and girls, between the ages of 15 and 49, suffered genital mutilation. .
