In a historic and unanimous vote, the Italian parliament has approved a landmark law making femicide—the gender-motivated murder of a woman—a distinct crime punishable by a life sentence. The decision, passed on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marks a pivotal shift in how Italy confronts violence rooted in misogyny.
The law, which enjoyed rare cross-party support, was propelled into reality by a national tragedy: the 2023 murder of 22-year-old student Giulia Cecchettin by her ex-boyfriend. While her killer was already sentenced to life, it was the powerful words of her sister, Elena, that ignited a national movement. She argued the murderer was not a lone monster, but the “healthy son” of a patriarchal society, a sentiment that galvanized public demand for change.
A Law to Reveal the “Real Motivation”
Until now, Italy, like most of the world, lacked a legal framework to specifically classify and record femicide. The new law defines it as a murder motivated by “hatred, discrimination, domination, control, or subjugation of a woman as a woman.”
“This law means we will be the first in Europe to reveal the real motivation of the perpetrators, which is hierarchy and power,” said Judge Paola di Nicola, who helped draft the legislation. She emphasized that the law moves beyond framing such crimes as acts of “exasperated love” and instead identifies them as assertions of power.
Hope and Skepticism
For Giulia’s father, Gino Cecchettin, the law is a “little step” but a crucial one. “Before, many people… didn’t want to hear the word femicide,” he told the BBC. “Now this is a world where we can speak about it.”
His focus, however, is on prevention through the Giulia Cecchettin Foundation, which advocates for mandatory emotional and sexual education in schools—a measure that has faced political resistance.
The law also has its critics. Some legal experts, like Professor Valeria Torre, argue the definition is too vague and will be difficult for judges to implement. They contend that the government’s effort would be better spent on economic measures to address Italy’s deep gender inequality—the country ranks 85th in the Global Gender Gap Index, the lowest in the EU.
A First Step in a Long Journey
Advocates like Fabiana Costantino of ActionAid Italy agree that legislation alone is not enough. “The way to fight against violence against women is to prevent the violence, and to prevent the violence we have to build equality,” she said, highlighting that femicide is the peak of a pyramid of systemic discrimination.
The unanimous vote, greeted with applause in parliament, signals a rare political consensus. For Judge di Nicola, its greatest power may be in forcing a national conversation. “The first effect,” she said, “is to make the country discuss something it’s never confronted before.”
By James Kisoo
