THEthe launch of the first European law against violence against women it is an absolute priority. The presidents of the Commission and the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola, also said this. But, despite this, in Brussels the process of the directive was blocked on the different vision of some countries on what consent is.
The 27 countries are divided on the crime of rape
Situation in front of which associations to protect women victims of violence have risen up. Among these the One Hundred Thousand Foundation who declared that he looks «with great concern at what is happening around the Istanbul Convention». And this is because «once again a game is being played on women’s bodies that favors balances of power to the detriment of hard-won rights».
One None One Hundred Thousand: «Unacceptable situation»
In a note also published on its social media accounts, the association explained that «since our country ratified the Convention in 2013, many of the measures listed they formed the basis for being able to legislate against violence against women». Of course, they say, we are far, especially in the field of prevention, from the legislative and cultural standards that the text requires, but having them as objectives has produced tools for social and political sharing and institutional pressure in achieving them or in deciding to deny them.
The organization looks with great concern at what is happening in the European Parliament around the discussion on the crime of rape (Photo by Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto)
A step back in time
Faced, however, with the positions that are held in Parliament, especially in light of what women have to endure on a daily basis, «the indignation grows – we read again – in noting that after the efforts of these ten years to seek and obtain certain results, the Code Red for example, today there is an attempt to go back in time. As always, we are the sacrificial object.” The European directive, proposed in March 2022, eliminates the article that defines, and therefore sanctions, the crime of rape as sexual intercourse in the absence of the woman’s explicit consentthe foundation further underlines, sexual harassment in the world of work is no longer included and as regards online violence, the victim should prove the damage suffered by the circulation of their private images.
Crime of rape: what position does Italy have?
For activists «this is a sensational step backwards compared to a Convention to which we must aspire in its completeness and certainly not reduce its instruments. And what strikes us most – concludes the note – is the lack of political debate. If there is discussion in Europe at the moment, in Italy, however, it is not known what our country’s position will be on this matter. A deafening silence, that silence that women are asked to break and which the institutions instead feed on.”
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