Italy’s unanimous vote to make femicide a distinct crime is a rare moment of national consensus ~ and a striking acknowledgment that violence against women is systemic, not incidental. For decades, murders of women were framed as “crimes of passion,” hiding a deeper reality: these killings are rooted in male entitlement, control, and social hierarchy. By naming the crime, Italy refuses to let culture obscure the pattern. The murder of Giulia Cecchettin, a young woman killed by her ex-boyfriend, was a catalyst. Her father’s response ~ turning grief into education ~ shows that law alone cannot end violence. Social change must accompany legal change.

Documenting femicide, understanding its motives, and confronting entrenched patriarchal norms are as crucial as any statute. The law’s symbolic power is clear: femicides will be classified, studied, and punished. A life sentence for perpetrators........

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