La relatrice speciale delle Nazioni Unite sulla violenza contro le donne, le sue cause e conseguenze, Rashida Manjoo, ha concluso la propria missione in Italia. Ecco un estratto dal suo comunicato ufficiale:
[...] My visit focused broadly on violence against women in four spheres, including the home, the community, violence perpetrated or condoned by the state, and violence in the transnational context. Issues that I looked into include domestic violence; femicide; violence against women who face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including Roma, Sinti and other migrant women; detained women, women with disabilities and transgendered people. Unfortunately, violence against women continues to be a problem in Italy, similar to many other countries in the world. With statistics ranging between 70 and 87%, depending on the source, domestic violence is the most pervasive form of violence that continues to affect women across the country. The continuum of violence in the home is reflected in the increasing numbers of victims of femicide. Reported statistics indicate that in 2006, 101 women were killed by a partner, spouse or former partner and this figure increased to 127 in 2010. Most manifestations of violence are underreported in a context of a family-oriented and patriarchal society; domestic violence is not always perceived as a crime; economic dependency; and perceptions that the state response to such complaints will not be appropriate or helpful. Furthermore, a fragmented legal framework and inadequate investigation, punishment and compensation for women victims of violence, also contributes to the silencing and invisibility surrounding this issue.
It is important to note that the statistics mentioned above do not necessarily take into consideration the prevalence of violence against women from the Roma, Sinti and other minority communities. As minorities, such groups face multiple forms of violence and discrimination in both the private and public sectors.[...]
I commend the Government’s efforts to address the issue of violence against women, including through the promulgation of laws such as the one on stalking; the establishment of national plans of action on violence against women and also on women, peace and security; a National Plan for the Inclusion of Women in the Labor Market, as well as the establishment and merger of government bodies responsible for the promotion and protection of women’s rights. However, I note that there still exist many challenges, including the full and effective participation of women in the public and private labor sector as well as in the political sphere. A fragmented legal and policy framework, as well as limited financial resources to address violence against women, are a challenge, as regards the effective fulfilment of Italy’s international obligations. In this regard, I would like to reiterate the need for holistic solutions which address both the individual needs of women; and also the social, economic and cultural barriers that are a reality in the lives of all women. Such needs must also be coupled with social transformation to address the systemic and structural causes of inequality and discrimination, which most often lead to violence against women.
Finally, let me stress that the current political and economic situation faced by Italy cannot be used to justify the decrease of attention and resources to address all manifestations of violence against all women and girls in this country. I call on relevant stakeholders to take on the responsibility at this crucial time to promote human rights for all, and most importantly, to keep the issue of violence against women on the national agenda.[...]
My comprehensive findings will be discussed in the report I will present to the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2012.
