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ROME — The brutal killing of a 22-year-old student in Italy, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, has sparked a nationwide outcry.
Even the country’s most entrenched political rivals — hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and left-wing opposition party leader Elly Schlein — have set aside their differences and united to advocate for change.
This weekend, thousands of people are expected to gather in Rome and other major cities as part of an emerging “revolution” in Italian attitudes toward masculinity and violence against women and girls. Shockingly, a woman is murdered about once every three days in Italy.
The national introspection followed the murder of Giulia Cecchettin, an engineering student at Padua University, and the subsequent arrest of her former boyfriend, Filippo Turetta. Tens of thousands took to the streets this week protesting Italy’s “patriarchal” culture and demanding that the government take actionable steps to improve women’s safety.
Schlein reached out to Meloni over the issue, setting aside political differences and offering to work together on the prevention of domestic violence. This led to a unanimous vote on legislation strengthening tools such as restraining orders on Wednesday — an extraordinary result in the normally contentious political arena.
Cecchettin’s body was found near a lake on November 18 with multiple stab wounds, following a deeply covered search. Meloni expressed, “We all hoped in recent days that Giulia was alive. Unfortunately, our greatest fears have come true … Every single woman killed because she is ‘guilty’ of being free is an aberration that cannot be tolerated and that pushes me to continue on the path to stop this barbarism.”
Male jealousy
In the wake of the murder, Cecchettin’s family blamed a patriarchal society that encourages “unhealthy” male jealousy and the indifference of the state. More than 100 women have been killed this year in Italy, with half by their partner or former partner, according to government figures.
Activists point to a culture normalizing violent jealousy. Until 1981, the country’s penal code mandated extreme leniency for the killing of “spouses, daughters and sisters caught in illicit sex”. Media personalities still commonly refer to “crimes of passion.”
Cecchettin’s sister Elena held the state accountable and stated that it “does not do enough to intervene.” She firmly claimed, “It does not make women safe.”
As the first two women in their respective roles, Schlein and Meloni are well-positioned to spearhead decisive change.
Schlein, who is in a relationship with a woman, made feminism a key theme of her successful leadership campaign for the Democratic party. She has pledged to improve access to abortion and fight discrimination against LGBTQ+ and immigrant women.
Meloni, as Italy’s first female premier, has demonstrated through her career progression that women can rise to the top in Italy. However, she divides feminists and rejects arguments for female quotas in various spheres.
She has been criticized for her views on surrogacy and opposition to the recognition of individuals identifying with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth.
While Meloni and Schlein are often at odds, the killing of Cecchettin prompted Schlein to call for bipartisan efforts “to eradicate the toxic patriarchal culture of possession and control over women’s bodies and lives.” Meloni vowed to strengthen protections for women and raise public awareness of the issue.
Machismo and violence
Education minister Giuseppe Valditara stated that the government aims to address the issue of male chauvinism, machismo, and violence against women. Meanwhile, Minister for Equal Opportunities Eugenia Roccella emphasized that the change must come from men and that violence is the symptom of the inability to accept women’s freedom.
Demonstrations are expected in Rome and other Italian cities on Saturday to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Elisa Ercoli, president of Differenza Donna, a feminist group, noted that awareness of the horrors of domestic violence is growing, indicating that Italy is on the verge of “a cultural revolution that we must complete.”
