Italy criminalizes femicide with life sentence penalty

The law was finally approved by parliament and entered into force after being signed by the president, becoming one of the most debated reforms in the field of women’s rights protection in Europe.

The initiative was put forward by the government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. She announced the adoption of the draft law on March 7, 2025, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers, emphasizing the need for a systemic response to violence against women.

In an official statement Meloni said: “The Council of Ministers has approved an extremely significant draft law which introduces femicide as a crime in its own right within our legal system, punishable with life imprisonment, and provides for aggravating circumstances and harsher punishments for the crimes of personal abuse, stalking, sexual violence and revenge porn.”

According to her, the authorities “were determined to introduce them in order to boost the fight against this intolerable scourge.”

The reform was prompted by a series of high-profile killings of women that sparked mass public protests and demands for tougher penalties. In recent years activist movements, including Non Una di Meno, have called for systemic changes and effective mechanisms to protect victims of domestic and gender based violence.

The term femicide refers to the killing of a woman because of her gender, including domestic violence, stalking, jealousy motivated crimes and relationship control. In several countries it is recognized as a separate category of severe crime due to its distinct social nature and high recurrence.

According to a global study by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, about 60 percent of women killed in 2023 were murdered by intimate partners or other family members. The report also notes that “home is the most dangerous place for women and girls,” indicating that a significant share of femicide occurs within the family.

Globally gender equality is viewed not only as a legal imperative but also as a key driver of socioeconomic development. In this context, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva notes that women in Kazakhstan today are a real driving force of the economy.

According to the minister, women lead 48.2 percent of small and medium sized enterprises and account for 53.4 percent of individual entrepreneurs. More than 30 percent of female students choose STEM fields, and 31 percent of women work in IT and the digital economy. Every seventh startup team at Astana Hub is founded by a woman.