Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Italy’s main cities on Saturday, November 25, 2023, to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This comes after the killing of Giulia Cecchettin, a 23-year-old woman who was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend days before she was due to graduate. The incident has outraged the country and sparked a wave of protests against violence against women.
The rallies were held in Milan, Naples, Rome, and other cities, with participants holding banners and placards that read “Stop femicide” and “No more violence against women”.
The killing of women in Italy is a serious issue, with more than 100 women murdered in the country so far in 2023. According to the Italian Statistics Institute (ISTAT), 31.5% of women in Italy have suffered some form of physical or sexual violence, and 5.4% have been victims of serious forms of sexual violence such as rape.