The secretary of the centre-left
opposition Democratic Party (PD) Elly Schlein has invited
Premier Giorgia Meloni to "work together" on tackling
gender-based violence in Italy.
"In these days we are reading a lot of tragic news about
femicides and episodes of rape and gender violence," said
Schlein on the sidelines of a summer Pd event in Modena on
Friday evening.
"I would like to appeal to Premier Giorgia Meloni: this is not
an issue where the usual dialectic between political forces can
apply," she continued.
"I would like us all to work together to make the necessary
major investments in prevention, in addition to the repressive
measures that we have already agreed to work on," continued the
Pd leader.
Schlein added that her appeal was directed at the right-centre
majority as a whole "and in particular to the first female
president of the council (of ministers)".
Italy is seeing a spate of femicides, while two incidences of
alleged gang rape in Palermo and Caivano near Naples have also
recently grabbed headlines.
"If we look at these latest episodes, we are dealing with very
young victims and perpetrators, which means that the culture of
rape is taking hold in this country, even among the youngest
generations," said Schlein.
"We cannot allow this to happen, meaning that we must intervene
before this culture and this sexist prejudice and misplaced idea
of the right to own a woman's body takes root," she continued.
Schlein called for a significant investment in education in
differences, starting from schools.
"This has been done in other European countries and it has
helped to change this culture to prevent gender-based violence
in all its forms, which unfortunately affects many women every
day in this country and not only in this country," she said.
"Can we manage to work together on this issue to make a major
investment that begins in schools and eradicates this
patriarchal prejudice concerning the right to own a woman's body
- a right that does not exist and which generates violence even
among the youngest?" asked Schlein.
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