Equal Opportunities Minister Barbara Pollastrini on Wednesday called for urgent action to tackle violence against women, as a new report revealed disturbing levels of abuse.
The study by national statistics institute Istat suggested that over 14 million Italian women have experienced some form of violence but fewer than 10% of such crimes are reported to police.
"These figures show that Italian women between the ages of 16 and 50 are more likely to die from violence than from illness or road accidents," said Pollastrini, speaking at the official release of the report.
"Yet most violence against women continues to remain a secret. This is because women are too scared to report their partners, as there is no network of services in place to help them".
In fact, according to the study, 93% of attacks by a partner, and 96% of other attacks currently go unreported.
The study, the first of its kind by Istat, suggests that 1.15 million Italian women, around 5.4%, have experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in the last 12 months alone.
Overall, nearly a third of all women questioned, 6.743 million, said they had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives, while 37%, or 7.134 million, had been victims of psychological violence - 43% from their current partners.
The most common forms of physical violence were being shoved, slapped, having hair pulled, and being kicked or punched, while sexual violence took the form of being touched without consent and agreeing to sex out of fear. Fourteen percent said someone had tried to rape them, while nearly 10% had been raped.
Only a quarter of women were attacked by a stranger, while the rest were abused by relatives, partners or acquaintances.
Furthermore, looking at domestic violence, the report found that attacks by partners or relatives frequently caused serious injuries. Yet just 18.2% viewed domestic violence as a criminal act, said the report.
Istat also addressed stalking, another form of violence whose impact and gravity is frequently underestimated.
Over two million women - nearly one in five - have been stalked by former partners, who follow them, call them, email them, wait outside their homes or work, and send them unwanted gifts, it said.
In nearly 50% of cases where women are sexually or physically attacked by an ex, the problems started with stalking, the report found.
The Istat study comes as parliament begins debating a government bill on violence against women, part of a broader campaign aimed at addressing the problem.
Pollastrini, who is spearheading the campaign, urged parliament to approve the bill "as swiftly as possible".
"We are open to dialogue on ways to improve the text but this law is needed urgently," she said.
If approved, the bill would provide tougher penalties when violence is committed in a cohabiting relationship, either by a partner or family member.
It would allow investigators to collect evidence to help secure convictions and would provide greater protection for victims during trials.
The bill also seeks to crack down on stalking, underscoring that this frequently escalates into acts of physical violence.
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZING ACTION.
The government is also organizing action on other fronts.
A series of hard-hitting 30-second adverts, previewed at Wednesday's conference, will shortly appear on TV screens, providing an emergency number for those who experience or witness violence against women.
The equal opportunities ministry is also in the process of setting up an observatory on violence against women, which should be fully functioning by the end of June.
"A report [by research institute] Censis linked a resurgence in misogyny to a narrow image of women portrayed in the Italian media," commented Angela Motta, the equal opportunities spokesperson for the centre-left Daisy party.
"We therefore need to take serious action with regards to men's perception of women, particularly that of younger men".
Vittoria Franco, the women's coordinator of the Democratic Left, the largest party in the centre-left governing coalition, also underscored the need for a change of attitude among Italian men.
"The only way to fight violence is by raising a different kind of man," she said. "We need to inculcate them with a profound respect for female dignity".
Telefono Rosa, a helpline for violence against women, urged the government to take more radical action.
"The bill is not enough," said Telefono Rosa President Maria Gabriella Carnieri Moscatelli. "It fails to recognise that victims of violence need help recovering".
She also underscored the growing number of young women and teenagers using the helpline's service, suggesting the problem is on the rise.
