BY FRANCESCA RAPISARDA
Italy’s lower house has given unanimous approval to a groundbreaking law that officially recognises femicide, the killing of a woman because of her gender, as a distinct crime carrying an automatic life sentence.
The vote, taken on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marks a turning point in the country’s long-running confrontation with gender-based violence.
The push for legislative change accelerated after the 2023 murder of 22-year-old student Giulia Cecchettin, whose death at the hands of her former boyfriend erupted into protests and forced a national reckoning.
Two years later, parliament has moved decisively, placing Italy among the handful of European nations, including Cyprus, Malta, and Croatia, that define femicide within their criminal codes.
The new statute classifies as femicide any killing rooted in gender-based hatred, domination, coercion, or punishment of a woman for asserting independence, including ending a relationship.
Such cases must now be formally registered as femicides and will automatically trigger a life sentence.
For Judge Paola di Nicola, a leading expert who helped draft the law after studying more than 200 killings, the move is historic: the legislation forces Italy to recognise motivations long obscured by euphemisms like “jealous rage” or “crime of passion”.
Public anger has not diminished since Cecchettin’s death. In 2025, mass protests erupted again after 14-year-old Martina Carbonaro was murdered by an ex-partner, a case that underscored how young the victims are becoming and how early patterns of gendered violence take root.
Demonstrators across the country carried keys, red ribbons, and banners denouncing systemic misogyny, calling for political leaders to adopt prevention measures rather than symbolic gestures.
While support for the bill cut across Italy’s political spectrum, the legislation is not without critics.
Some legal scholars warn that proving a gender-based motive will be challenging, especially in cases involving current or former partners, who already make up the majority of perpetrators.
Others argue that focusing solely on sentencing fails to address the societal inequalities that fuel the violence in the first place.
Italy ranks near the bottom of EU countries on the Global Gender Gap Index, with low female employment levels and persistent stereotypes that researchers say contribute to male entitlement and control.
For Giulia Cecchettin’s father, whose advocacy work now takes him into schools and universities, the law alone cannot transform the culture.
He has called for mandatory relationship and emotional-education programmes, arguing that prevention must begin early, before harmful attitudes harden.
The proposal faces resistance from far-right politicians who oppose comprehensive sex and emotional education in schools.
Advocates say this resistance undermines Italy’s progress and risks repeating the same cycles.
Despite disagreements, the unanimous parliamentary vote was met with applause, a rare moment of unity in Rome’s often polarised political climate.
Supporters say the measure represents a milestone: Italy is finally naming the specific violence women face and acknowledging its roots in gender inequality.
Lawmakers who championed the bill insist it is only the beginning of a broader national effort.
