Italy on Wednesday marked the
UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women with calls for more concerted action against the
phenomenon, as news emerged that a 43-year-old woman was killed
by her husband with a double-barreled shotgun blast in Perugia.
The killer, a 40-year-old estate agent, gave himself up,
police said.
The murder took place in a villa near Perugia railway
station and there are reports that the couple's six-year-old
child was at home at the time.
Police said the murder took place after a quarrel and are
still trying to piece together exactly what happened.
President Sergio Mattarella led appeals earlier in the day.
"Counteracting violence against women is an essential task
of every society that proposes to protect fundamental human
rights," he said.
He called for "educating young people in rejecting violence
in romantic relationships" but said there is "still a long way
to go".
Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini said "much more remains
to be done" and urged more funding for battered women's shelters
as well as more policies promoting women's financial
independence.
"It is crucial to give women the chance to find shelter
when they have to get out of a violent context," Boldrini said.
"Work is crucial because women who don't work are more
vulnerable," she stressed, adding that less than half of women
in Italy are in employment.
Outspoken centre-right MP Daniela Santanché called for the
chemical castration of "ogres" who are violent to their
partners.
The Italian Red Cross (CRI) presented an 'identikit' of the
typical victim of abuse in Italy.
She is Italian, married with children, and between 35 and
40 years of age, the CRI said.
Separately, the United Nations children's agency UNICEF
said one girl in 10 under the age of 20 has been raped or forced
to submit to sex acts against her will.
A video on violence against women was shown in every
Italian post office Wednesday.
The post office also issued a special stamp to mark the
day.
Before departing for his African trip Pope Francis received
11 women who are in a shelter in the Lazio region.
They were of Italian, Nigerian, Romanian and Ukrainian
origin and had six children with them.
Rome Prefect Franco Gabrielli said "more must be done on a
cultural level" to combat violence against women.
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said authorities have
issued 380 cautions and 231 restraining orders in 2015 in
domestic violence cases.
Abuse within the family has fallen by 16.25% in the last
year, beatings by 9.52%, sexual violence by 14.43%, murder of
women within the family environment by 5.13%, painful injury by
12.23%, threats against women by 13.5% and stalking by 21.28%,
Alfano added.
"The introduction of two laws on stalking and gender-based
violence have therefore given important results," the minister
said.
"There has been a significant reduction in the phenomenon
and one thing is certain: the three pillars of our strategy -
punish, prevent, and protect - are working."
Approved under the previous center-left government of
Enrico Letta in October 2013, the law on gender violence is the
basis for provisions contained in the government's controversial
Good School reform to promote non-discrimination and gender
equality in Italian schools.
However, these provisions have come under repeated attack
from centre-right politicians and conservative Catholics
concerned that they might pave the way for the teaching of
gender theory in schools.
Gender theory posits that male or female identity is not
just a matter of genetics and physical characteristics, but also
a social construct.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA