Psychological, physical, economic, sexual, assisted by the children; stalking, catcalling, discrimination and gender inequality. Violence against women takes many forms and seems to know no boundaries. For Italians, it is among the urgent priorities of the country’s political agenda: a primary critical issue to be resolved both when it comes to physical violence (60.8%), and if it comes to psychological violence (57.8%). These are some of the data that emerged from a survey carried out by AstraRicerche, presented today in the Senate on the occasion of the event ‘All the faces of violence‘, promoted by the Anti-violence Network of the Municipality of Milan and Gilead Sciences Italia.
However, the phenomenon of rape is still underestimated. Although according to Istat about 5% of 16-70 year old women (1 million 157 thousand) have suffered rape or attempted rape, more than 40% of Italians think that this figure does not exceed 3%. A much more frequent underestimation among men than among women.
The photograph that emerges from the investigation is disheartening. One in four Italians think that it cannot really be considered a form of violence ‘to comment on a physical abuse suffered by a woman stating that it is less serious because her attitudes, her clothing or appearance communicated that she was available’. the majority are men (30%), but the percentage of women is also significant (20%). About 3 in ten people do not consider ‘slapping a partner in the face if she has flirted with another’ violence: among women, 20% are convinced, while the percentage rises to 40% for men. Still, one in three Italians does not consider violence to force a partner into sexual intercourse if she does not feel like it: about 4 men and 3 women out of ten think so.
“A cultural change is needed – he comments Diana De Marchi, president of the Commission for Equal Opportunities and Civil Rights and the Anti-violence Network of the Municipality of Milan – that it makes us all feel part of the problem, because women cannot, and must not, be left alone to deal with violence and mistreatment. For this reason, in Lombardy, we have set up the Anti-Violence Network coordinated by the Municipality of Milan, which has been active for many years in supporting women who decide to escape situations of domestic mistreatment and gender-based violence along the way, offering reception and listening based on gender relationship, psychological, legal (civil and criminal), professional / work, housing and economic support. Despite the scarcity of resources made available to local authorities, we have continued to increase the economic and human resources for the anti-violence network of our city “.
The data of the Anti-violence Network relating to the first six months of 2021 were also presented today, collected through 14 realities operating in the area including anti-violence centers and shelters of the Municipality of Milan. About 2,200 requests were received from about 980 women who benefited from the various interventions offered by the anti-violence network of the Municipality of Milan (from telephone listening, to reception, from psychological support, to accompaniment to work, from legal advice, to housing autonomy). In about a quarter of the cases, these are women who have asked for help for the first time, while there are over 400 women who have been accepted in ways that still exist to escape situations of violence and 50 women and 27 children who have been hosted in Case Rifugio.). 59% of the women helped by the Network have children and 64% are of Italian nationality. 68% of the reported violence is physical, 24% sexual and 22% takes the forms of ‘economic’ violence. Sad record for psychological violence (84%).
A collaboration has been launched between the Milan anti-violence network and Gilead Sciences which provided for the disbursement of 20,000 euros for the implementation of initiatives in favor of women victims of gender-based violence: internships and work grants for work reintegration and professional retraining paths and projects; services for work-family reconciliation; housing autonomy projects; health promotion expenses for female victims and minor children involved; legal fees for civil legal proceedings.
“The collaboration with the anti-violence network of the Municipality of Milan is part of the commitment to protect and promote the values of diversity and inclusion that as a global company we support in all the communities in which we operate – he explains Gemma Saccomanni, director of Public Affairs of Gilead Sciences Italia – We do not stop at the research and development of innovative drugs, but we actively support those who work in favor of those who live in conditions of discrimination, marginalization or violence. Among the most disadvantaged segments of the population are women, to whom phenomena such as violence and gender disparity in its various aspects prevent a full and legitimate participation in the social and economic life of the country.“.
Who Practices Violence Against Women? For the Italians interviewed in the first place there are the superiors at work (86% of answers often / sometimes), in second place the male partners (84%) and other men of the family (73%). Followed by strangers (78%) and friends and acquaintances, both women and men (75%). It should be emphasized that almost half of the women interviewed think that the male partner is often abusive, violent on a psychological or physical level, while only 35% of men agree with this description, confirming the underestimation of the problem.
From the data of the anti-violence network on the territory of the Municipality of Milan it emerges instead that over 89% of women suffer violence from a family member: 74% of those who mistreat them are husbands, cohabitants, boyfriends or exes and 68% of the latter are of Italian nationality.
“The general picture that emerges – he explains Cosimo Finzi, director of AstraRicerche – is that of an Italy still anchored on certain legacies, but aware that gender-based violence exists and is a priority issue to be addressed. This is demonstrated by the data on the perception of gender equality, defined as ‘a condition in which women and men receive equal treatment, with equal ease of access to resources and opportunities, regardless of their gender’: only for 18.8% of the interviewees gender equality in Italy is real, fully achieved “.
On how to combat the phenomenon of violence, Italians opt for the “cultural solution: promote knowledge and respect for women in schools, of all levels and levels. In second place they insert the intervention on public welfare: working hours, offer of services, subsidies for the purchase of crèche service, recognition of domestic work. To follow, the paths of female empowermentand for victims of violence such as psychological support, activities on self-esteem and awareness, support for reintegration into work and society (17.1% and 53.2%) and, finally, a law that makes mandatory a paternity period of 2-3 months (9.1% and 26%) “.
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