November 25th is an important day, dedicated to a theme that, unfortunately, is always topical, namely gender-based violence. This anniversary was established to focus all public attention on this issue, which unfortunately has affected our society in recent years. In fact, here in Italy, there are many femicides, a term with which we designate the murders of women. In 2019 up to now there are 96, but in 2018 Italy has reached the highest number of all time: 142 victims. It is considered “violence against women” any form of aggression, threat, or abuse from an adult man directed at a woman. In fact, these are all behaviors that do not take into account the will of women, who have the right to say yes, as to say no to anyone. It is also important to know that violence, to be defined as such, must be repeated over time and must put the victim in a state of shame. There are also some “stereotypes” of our society, which still affect the education of a male child, strictly “different” from that imparted to a female. In fact, may it never be that a child’s birth ribbon is pink, or that he wishes to take a dance class! It would immediately be labeled “different”. When he explained the origin of the habit of marking blue objects reserved for males and those of females with pink, I found it absurd and ridiculous that the clothes of a doll (the famous “Barbie”) and the attribute of a prince (the “Prince Charming” of fairy tales animated by Disney) could allow the company to build a world over us. It does not seem right that toys should guide the choices of children, inducing a child to find it natural to cook and not to handle a weapon, considered a “game for boys”.
To deepen the theme of gender-based violence, on the femicides that for centuries have been justified or hidden. Just go back a few centuries, to the Middle Ages, when a woman could not quarrel with her husband who was immediately sentenced to immersion in water with the stool. And we think of the women who were accused of witchcraft only because they dared to say what they thought or did not follow the rules imposed from above. Let us not forget the submission and violence suffered by thousands of wives and daughters, condemned to silence in order to maintain the good name of the family. It is a heavy baggage, which is only now being opened and made public, awakening the sensitivity of many who were ignorant or who simply did not want to see or hear. Why all this? We could give several explanations: the first is the fact that for millennia man has always been considered superior to woman, and in fact, he has been somehow justified with regard to certain behaviors, often also by the Catholic world. Secondly, a woman is physically weaker than her partner, so it is very easy to scare, raise your hands and subdue. Going back to the present day, however, with female emancipation almost fully achieved, it still seems absurd that in the world there are women subject to their companions, who every day suffer violence not only physical but above all verbal … often worse than a slap. Yet there are, and it is they themselves who do not report, to hope that one day the situation will change for the better and that the man they are in love with will repent and stop making their life hell. But in most cases, this does not happen, and the expectation of improvement turns into the expectation of death. None of these women think that their boyfriend or husband can go that far but, unfortunately, it happens, and from an insult, from a slap, from a blow, the step towards murder is short. What must be done to avoid this? The first thing is to realize that those who raise their hands, those who insult, and those who offend do not love, even if they later show repentance, utter sweet words, and come with a bouquet of flowers or a gift. Then you need to have the courage to speak up, get help, and report.
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