Women’s rights organisations in Italy to fight against violence against women, and against a bill that could set back the progress of women’s rights in Italy for 40 years. Ylenia Gostoli reports from Rome.
In a simple apartment in a nondescript block of flats in the North of Rome, the woman of the house, Donna LISA’s home. The district is located far away from the glamour that the visitors to Rome looking for usually. Tania La Tella climbs to the top of a metal fire escape. She’s angry that the residents of the apartment blocks prohibit the staff of the women’s house, to use the main entrance. “As if we were here to celebrate parties,” she says. Although the Donna LISA offers since more than 20 years, the women from the neighborhood, a place of refuge threatens the woman’s house for the closure. In April 2017, the municipal government had started to rent arrears of the organizations to collect the municipal building. The Donna LISA had accumulated debts in the amount of 40,000 euros at the municipality.
The women’s house provides a point of contact and a 24-hour helpline for women fleeing domestic violence. It is operated solely by volunteers. They advise the affected women, accompany you to court hearings and visits to schools to highlight the Problem of domestic violence to the attention of. La Tella has been active for almost 20 years in the woman’s house. The situation changed, she says.
The Italian activist Tania La Tella is fighting for your rights
Easier to change for the Better
“A few years ago to us have not visited, more women, who came from the neighborhood. They did not want to be recognized, what has made the come Up on of these stages is difficult,” she says. “In General, the families of the women did not support their violent husbands. Instead, they have said: ‘But he is still your husband.’” Meanwhile, the women reacted faster, says La Tella of the DW.
Tratzdem make La Tella and her colleagues in Italy. A new bill could throw you in the fight for women’s rights back years, he should be in the current Form actually adopted. The template was introduced by Senator Simone Pillon of the right-wing populist Lega.
“The obstacles for women who are exposed to domestic violence would be multiplied, also in economic terms,” says La Tella. “The template is based on the idea that acquired rights can not be taken back. Thus, the law represents the essential idea of a divorce out of the question. “
Italy, with this development in Europe are not alone. The rise of right-wing populist movements goes hand in hand with the Revival of social conservatism. This seeks to eliminate some of the achievements in the area of civil rights and the women’s self-determination. In Poland, for example, the attempt by the government, which is already in many Parts of the country a restricted right to abortion legally to abolish, has triggered large protests.
Protection of traditional family images
The draft law of Simone Pillon wants to reform Italy’s divorce law fundamentally. He provides for, among other things, that couples must take before a divorce, at their own expense to a family mediation. “This law is based on a need that we believe is essential,” said Pillon recently at a press conference. “The need that the conflict is within the family does not end up in court. Fathers and mothers should reach an agreement on how to split custody of the children before they go to court.” Critics argue, however, that this bill would make amendments to the decades-long progress in the fight for the rights of women to nothing.
The new regulation would require the two parents to the fact that in the case of a separation, the kids live half in the mother and the father. The previous maintenance payments should largely be eliminated. This scheme would be to the detriment of the partner who is financially poor; in Italy, the currently is usually the woman.
“This bill would prevent women from ending a violent relationship, because it makes it more difficult for the violent Partner to view and to retain at the same time, custody of the children,” says Lella Palladino, President of the Women’s Network Against Violence, which operates a country-wide network of women’s shelters. “This bill strengthens the inhibitions of mothers, domestic violence, because they are afraid that it takes away their children,” says Palladino the DW.
The law of two assumptions. First of all, women lie when they report violence. This assumption would be maintained until the application of force is demonstrated. Second, a child, a parent would refuse a part because it was manipulated by the other, a so-called “parental alienation” will be triggered. Scientists deny the existence of this syndrome.
Women’s day in Turin on 8. March 2018: Protest for equality and against violence
Step back by law
“We are concerned about this development, also from the point of view of the child’s well-being,” says Palladino. When their daughters or sons refused to see one of the two parents, which occurs often in cases of domestic violence, to shift the law of the mother, the blame, since they had raised their children against the father. Pillon said the law will not be used in cases of domestic violence applied to it. Women’s rights organizations argue that the formulation of the draft law are too vague. It States that the use of force “must be proved.” If this ultimately would mean that a judge must be available to sentencing, it would take three to four years.
According to the draft law, the child should see in this time that the violent parent, because the law provides for the custody of both parents. The aggrieved parent would have to fear, not to lose custody of the child, if it supports contact. Because of the harmful parent could accuse your Partner or partner to alienate the child intentionally by him or her. Another draft law being discussed in the Italian Parliament, sees the Latter as a criminal Offence.
Last year, for the issue of violence against women, a competent officer of the UN, Dubravka Šimonović had expressed, in a letter to the Italian government its concern about the draft. You wrote that the law would introduce a draft “provisions that could cause a serious backward step that promotes inequality between the sexes” and “Survivors of domestic violence, important protection measures deprived.”
According to the Italian statistics office, nearly seven million Italian women have experienced violence in any Form. Of them, 78 percent have refunded but no display and no help and got it.
The persistent economic inequalities between a man and a woman could be an additional deterrent for women to leave a violent Partner. In particular, in cases where women are not part could provide, after separation, your children may have the same standard of living as the other parents. “We see that this law is directed against any single success, the Italian women since the 1970s have achieved,” says Palladino.