Femicide: Understanding the Crime, the Law, and the Movement for Change

What Is Femicide? The Roots of a Global Problem

Femicide is not just a word, nor is it simply a legal term. It is a deeply unsettling reality, describing the murder of a woman or girl because of her gender. Across continents, femicide exposes the underbelly of society: a place where violence against women is not random, but rooted in power, hierarchy, and control. The concept itself is both a mirror and a challenge to the cultures that have allowed such violence to remain in the shadows.

The term ‘femicide’ has evolved over decades. While activists and experts have long called for recognition, many countries still lack a specific definition, making statistical comparisons and policy responses difficult. According to BBC News, Italy has now joined a handful of European nations—Cyprus, Malta, Croatia—in legally defining femicide in its criminal code. This is more than a legal technicality: it marks a new chapter in acknowledging and confronting gender-based killings.

Italy’s Landmark Law: From Tragedy to Legislation

On November 26, 2025, Italy’s parliament voted unanimously to make femicide a distinct crime, punishable by life imprisonment (Al Jazeera, CNN). The timing was symbolic, coinciding with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It was a move spurred not only by statistics—Italy recorded 106 femicides in 2024, the majority committed by current or former partners—but by a national reckoning after the murder of university student Giulia Cecchettin.

Giulia’s death, at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, shook Italy. It was not the brutality alone that sparked outrage, but the response of her sister, Elena, who argued that the perpetrator was not a monster but a product of a patriarchal society. Her words echoed across Italy, mobilizing crowds and amplifying calls for change. Two years later, the law passed with bipartisan support, as politicians wore red in solidarity with victims and their families.

The law defines femicide as murder motivated by “hatred, discrimination, domination, control, or subjugation of a woman as a woman,” or occurring when a woman asserts her autonomy. This legal clarity aims to shine a light on the motives behind such killings, rather than obscuring them with notions of ‘romantic passion’ or ‘jealousy.’ Judge Paola di Nicola, who helped draft the law, emphasized that this recognition forces society to confront uncomfortable truths about power and inequality.

Legal Change: Progress and Critique

Italy’s new law is historic, but not without controversy. Some legal experts, like Professor Valeria Torre, argue that the definition is vague and will challenge judges in court. Proving gender motivation, especially when most femicides involve intimate partners, may be difficult. Critics also warn that focusing solely on punishment risks neglecting the root causes—economic inequality, cultural stereotypes, and lack of education.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her government, which supported the bill, have also promoted funding for anti-violence centers, emergency hotlines, and awareness campaigns. Yet, rights groups such as Non Una di Meno contend that these steps, while welcome, must be accompanied by broader changes. Italy, notably, is one of the few EU countries without mandatory sexual and emotional education in schools—a gap that many activists say must be filled to prevent violence before it starts (CNN).

The debate over education is heated. While some MPs propose mandatory courses, others resist, arguing that sex and relationship education should be optional and require parental consent. For families like Giulia Cecchettin’s, education is central. Her father, Gino, now tours schools, urging young people to reject stereotypes and learn respect, hoping to build a generation less bound by rigid gender roles.

Femicide: A Challenge Beyond Borders

Globally, femicide remains a pervasive issue. The United Nations reports that nearly two-thirds of female homicides are committed by partners or family members. The lack of a standardized definition means that femicide is often undercounted, making it hard to grasp the full scale of the problem. Italy’s move to classify and record these murders as femicide is a step toward transparency and accountability.

At the same time, the struggle against femicide is not just about criminal law. It is a call to re-examine the foundations of society. Exhibitions like Rome’s Museum of the Patriarchy, which lists the names of women killed by men, underscore the cultural work that remains. Italy ranks 85th in the Global Gender Gap Index, with persistent economic and social inequalities that feed the cycle of violence. As Fabiana Costantino of Action Aid Italy notes, “We have to destroy the base in order to destroy the problem in its worst form, which is femicide.”

In the end, Italy’s new law is both a victory and a challenge. It brings femicide out of the shadows and into the public discourse. It promises punishment for the most extreme acts of gender-based violence. But as the debate continues, it is clear that laws alone cannot cure the deep wounds of patriarchy. True change, as many advocates argue, begins with education, equality, and confronting the stereotypes that sustain violence.

Italy’s legal recognition of femicide represents a critical step in naming and addressing gender-based violence, but the broader struggle against femicide will require persistent efforts in education, cultural transformation, and economic equality to truly dismantle the structures that make such crimes possible.