The Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Vincenzo Grassi, took the floor today during the annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women dedicated to the issue of “economic violence as a form of gender-based violence against women and girls”, in the framework of the 56th session of the Human Rights Council.
Ambassador Grassi reaffirmed that “the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls remains a key priority for Italy” and highlighted, in particular, that economic violence can be hardly recognizable and is closely linked to economic dependence, power imbalance and persisting stereotypes. He also remembered that this form of abuse is often a warning sign of a violent attitude that can lead to further acts of physical violence, stressing the necessity to pay the utmost attention to this phenomenon.
Furthermore, the Permanent Representative of Italy affirmed the importance of supporting women’s empowerment and ensuring their freedom to make their own choices. In this regard, he recalled the Italy’s National Strategic Plan on Male Violence Against Women which provides specific actions to strengthen prevention by promoting social inclusion, access to adequate housing, a gender-based approach in the formulation of employment policies and financial independence thanks to measures such as an “Inclusion Allowance” introduced by 2023 Labor Decree. Ambassador Grassi finally highlighted that all intervention is accompanied by concrete actions aimed at guaranteeing the protection of victims, the prosecution of perpetrators, training of professionals and communication and awareness campaigns.
Read the full statement here.
