Italy passes femicide law, but women’s rights advocate says it misses the mark – CBC

Report on Italy’s New Femicide Legislation and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction

This report analyzes the recent legislation passed by the Italian parliament that establishes femicide as a distinct criminal offense. The analysis is conducted through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 4 (Quality Education). The law, passed unanimously following public outcry over the murder of Giulia Cecchettin, has been presented as a significant step in combating gender-based violence. However, critiques from women’s rights advocates suggest its approach may be insufficient to achieve meaningful progress toward SDG targets.

2.0 Legislative Provisions and Connection to SDG 5: Gender Equality

The new law directly addresses SDG Target 5.2, which calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. Its primary objective is to provide a stronger legal response to the gender-motivated killing of women.

• Criminalization of Femicide: The law formally recognizes the murder of a woman motivated by gender as a specific crime, distinct from general homicide.
• Punitive Measures: It establishes severe penalties, including the possibility of life imprisonment for perpetrators.
• Expanded Scope: The legislation also includes stronger measures to combat related gender-based crimes such as stalking and revenge porn.

While these measures represent a legal acknowledgment of a critical issue under SDG 5, their effectiveness is debated, particularly concerning their capacity to prevent violence before it occurs.

3.0 Critical Analysis: Punitive Focus vs. Preventative Imperatives

According to women’s rights advocate Elena Biaggioni, the legislation’s heavy emphasis on criminalization at the expense of prevention is a fundamental flaw. This approach fails to address the root causes of violence, a necessary step for the sustainable achievement of gender equality.

1. Reactive vs. Proactive Strategy: The law primarily functions as a reactive measure, intervening only after a woman has been killed. This contrasts with the preventative approach required by the SDGs.
2. Neglect of Cultural Change: Critics argue that without changing the underlying culture of discrimination and control, punitive laws alone will not eliminate violence against women.
3. Failure to Address Precursors: By focusing on the ultimate act of femicide, the law overlooks the patterns of control, domination, and discrimination that precede it. Identifying and intervening in these earlier stages is crucial for prevention.

4.0 Implications for SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The law’s implementation raises significant questions regarding its contribution to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions as outlined in SDG 16. While it aims to strengthen the justice system’s response to femicide, several institutional gaps have been identified.

• Inadequate Funding for Training: The law mandates training for the judiciary on gender-based violence, a positive step towards strengthening institutional capacity. However, it reportedly fails to allocate specific funding for this training, undermining its potential impact.
• Insufficient Support for Services: While the government claims to have increased funding for anti-violence centers and shelters, advocates report that these resources are still insufficient and lack proper accountability mechanisms.
• Inconsistent Legislative Priorities: On the same day the femicide bill was approved, a proposal for consent-based legislation for sexual violence was rejected. This inconsistency suggests a lack of a comprehensive political vision for strengthening justice for women, a key component of SDG 16.

5.0 The Neglected Role of SDG 4: Quality Education

A central critique of the government’s strategy is the lack of commitment to education, a cornerstone for achieving long-term cultural change and preventing gender-based violence. This directly relates to SDG Target 4.7, which calls for education on human rights and gender equality.

• Absence of Compulsory Education: Italy lacks a national, compulsory curriculum for sexual and relationship education in schools. Advocates argue this is a critical missed opportunity to instill values of respect and consent from a young age.
• Education as a Preventative Tool: A focus on education is presented as the most effective long-term strategy to dismantle the patriarchal norms that lead to violence, thereby contributing directly to the goals of SDG 5 through the mechanisms of SDG 4.

6.0 Conclusion and Recommendations

The Italian femicide law is a symbolic legislative action that acknowledges the severity of gender-motivated killings. However, from a Sustainable Development Goal perspective, its narrow focus on punishment rather than prevention renders it an incomplete solution. To align with the holistic and preventative principles of the 2030 Agenda, a more comprehensive strategy is required.

Recommendations based on this analysis include:

• Prioritizing Prevention: Shift political focus and resource allocation from solely punitive measures to a robust, preventative framework that addresses the root causes of gender inequality.
• Investing in Education (SDG 4): Implement a mandatory, nationwide educational program on consent, gender equality, and healthy relationships in all schools.
• Strengthening Institutions (SDG 16): Ensure adequate and accountable funding for judicial training, anti-violence centers, and shelters to build a justice system that effectively protects all women and girls.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the most central SDG to the article. The entire discussion revolves around femicide, which is the gender-motivated killing of women. The article addresses violence against women, the legal frameworks to protect them, and the societal and cultural shifts needed to achieve gender equality. It explicitly mentions the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women” and discusses issues like stalking, revenge porn, and the need for a consent-based definition of sexual violence, all of which fall under the umbrella of achieving gender equality.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article focuses heavily on the legal and institutional response to femicide in Italy. It analyzes the new law passed by the parliament, the role of the judiciary, and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in protecting women. The debate over whether to focus on criminalization versus prevention, and the mention of “mandatory training for the judiciary,” directly relate to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The women’s rights advocate, Elena Biaggioni, repeatedly emphasizes the importance of education as a tool for prevention. She criticizes the new law for focusing on punishment after the crime has occurred rather than on proactive measures. She specifically points out the lack of “proper education in schools” and “sexual education,” arguing that changing the culture through education is essential to eliminate violence against women. This directly connects to the goal of providing quality education that promotes gender equality and a culture of non-violence.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The article discusses femicide as a crime “motivated by gender,” which is the ultimate form of discrimination and violence against women. The advocate’s call to “recognize forms of control, forms of [domination], discrimination” as precursors to femicide aligns with this target.
   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. This is the most directly relevant target. The article is entirely focused on femicide, “a series of killings and violence against women,” and other gender-based crimes like “stalking and revenge porn.”
   • Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality. The core of the article is an analysis of Italy’s new law making femicide a distinct criminal offense. The debate between the government and advocates like Elena Biaggioni is about whether this legislation is “sound” and effective, or if it is a “trap” that misses the mark by ignoring prevention.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article’s focus on femicide, the murder of women, directly addresses the need to reduce violence-related death rates. The high-profile killing of Giulia Cecchettin is cited as a catalyst for the new law aimed at curbing this violence.
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The discussion centers on the legal framework for addressing gender-based violence. The introduction of “mandatory training for the judiciary” is a specific measure aimed at strengthening the justice system’s capacity to handle these cases appropriately and ensure justice for victims.

3. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote… gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence. Elena Biaggioni’s argument is a direct call to implement this target. She states, “we would prefer to work on prevention, proper education in schools. We’re one of the few countries that have no sexual education in schools… If you don’t change the culture… you won’t eliminate violence against women.” This highlights education as a primary tool for prevention.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 5 (Gender Equality):

  • Prevalence of gender-based violence: The article refers to “a series of killings and violence against women,” including the specific case of Giulia Cecchettin. This implies that the number and rate of femicides are key indicators (relevant to Target 5.2). The mention of “stalking and revenge porn” suggests that the prevalence of these specific forms of violence are also measurable indicators.
  • Legal frameworks and policies: The passage of the new femicide law is itself an indicator of a legal framework being in place (relevant to Target 5.c). The advocate’s criticism that a “consent-based legislation for sexual violence was not approved” on the same day points to gaps in the legal framework, which can also be measured.
  • Funding for support services: The Prime Minister’s statement that “we have doubled funding for anti-violence centers and shelters” provides a direct, quantifiable indicator of government commitment and resource allocation for services for victims of violence (relevant to Target 5.2).

• For SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):

  • Violence-related death rates: The number of femicides per year is a direct indicator for measuring progress on reducing violence-related deaths (relevant to Target 16.1).
  • Training of officials: The article mentions the new law introduced “mandatory training for the judiciary.” The proportion of judges, prosecutors, and police who have received this training would be a specific indicator of institutional strengthening (relevant to Target 16.3). The advocate’s note that “they didn’t invest money on this” suggests that both the existence of the policy and the budget allocated to it are important indicators.

• For SDG 4 (Quality Education):

  • Implementation of education for gender equality: The advocate’s statement that Italy has “no sexual education in schools” and that new education initiatives are “not compulsory” implies that a key indicator is the existence and nationwide implementation of a compulsory curriculum on gender equality, consent, and non-violence in schools (relevant to Target 4.7).

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cbc.ca