GBV in Italy

During the last month 6 Italian women died: they were killed by their ex-boyfriends because they had the strenght to stop a relationship made of jealousy, violence and personal limitations. These women decided that it was time to wake up and to end up a relationship that was no longer love but only possessive. They had the courage to act and react but what for?
Their lives found a drammatical ending and in most of the cases even for the families left behind there is no justice, because the perpetrators of these deeds killed themselves.

Most of these women, after ending up their relationships, became victims of stalking and went to the police because they did not feel safe. Unfortunately, stalking is a growing phenomenon that is up to now not properly considered and punished. In some rare cases, women and men, too, find justice but they don't know for how long their peaceful living will last. And this uncertainty is limitating in every-day-life and blocks personal development.

I think, even stalking should be seen as a form of violence many women are subject to. And the victims are by far more than we can imagine. It is a psychological form of violence that can degenerate in physical violence. And it is subtle and latent. This is maybe why, in global and international agendas the problem is not very present.
Physical violence in all its aspects and facets (and there are too many still existing all around the world) is more visible because it leaves signs but psychological violence and pressure is invisible and creates a lot of harm. It diminuishes the self esteem and self-consciousness of a woman. And no one talks about it or considers stalking as it is: violence that generates even more violence.

In the campaigns against violence in every form and everywhere men should be included, too. It should be worked with them to understand the causes of their violence and give them different approach to their violence: transformation of the negative energy of violence into something positive and productive.

Thanks to everybody who shared her/his ideas on the blog

Sincerely
Eliana