Targeted education and legislative action needed to combat gender-based violence in regional spaces, says rapporteur Donatella Porzi

​​In recognition of International Women's Day, Donatella Porzi (IT/RE), CoR rapporteur of the opinion on "Stopping gender-based violence - cities and regions leading the way", shares her insights into the deep-rooted challenges and developments in this battle, emphasising the importance of education, societal change, and legislative action. 

1. On a personal level, what drives your commitment to combating gender-based violence? 

With different nuances, I believe that every woman, including myself, has experienced offensive behavior just for being a woman. Mine is simply a daily commitment to try to change things. I was lucky enough to grow up aware that the causes of gender-based violence are long-standing and that we can only counter it by changing the patriarchal, social and cultural paradigm in which it is rooted. This is indeed a big topic that concerns us first and foremost as a family, as parents. As a mother of two sons, I have tried to educate them to build healthy relationships, to deal with frustrations and discomfort that you do not expect with emotional competence, not violence. I am well aware that this is not an easy task when so many messages from the outside promote a model of a 'real man' characterised by toxic masculinity and misogyny. On the other hand, a lot of work needs to be done on our daughters to help them immediately recognise if they are experiencing a dysfunctional relationship based on control and manipulation. 

2. As rapporteur on gender-based violence, reflecting on the progress made in recent years, what do you see as the most significant positive developments and persistent challenges in combating gender-based violence at the regional and local levels? 

Finally, the Pandora's box is being opened a bit, we are able to use the term 'feminicide' and identify the many physical, psychological, economic, social forms of violence against women. Regulating violence with punitive laws is not enough to tackle the problem. In my opinion "Stopping gender-based violence -- cities and regions leading the way", which was adopted by the CoR, a number of key issues were highlighted: prevention, starting with educating younger generations. Schools thus play a key role in providing positive role models, but we need to intervene from an early age to prevent stereotypes in our children's minds. Targeted training is also needed for personnel who, in various capacities, work with women who are victims of violence or who report being at risk. Data collection is also crucial to have an overview of the phenomenon and its different forms. Where prevention has failed, it is necessary to set up services to support the victims of crime, provide them with a specific path to emergency medical assistance, housing, and to social health services, and to ensure a connection with the judicial and police authorities. Moreover, even in times of 'normality', there is still a wide gap between men and women in the labour market in Italy, which can only be addressed through a collective effort aimed at creating truly inclusive work environments and parenting support, implementing of policies for a more balanced management of the relationship between personal life, family and career. 

3. What message do you wish to convey to women and girls worldwide who may be facing or fighting against gender-based violence?  

Two things in particular. First of all, do not be afraid or ashamed to denounce it. Secondly, do not resign yourself to 'It has always been this way!'. The fact that it is often ignored is that most violence takes place at home, but salvation may be found outside. The other key point is to continue to believe in yourself, to build the future by using one's intelligence and developing one's potential through investment on school and university where one is taught to do so to enter the job market and be recognised and valued as productive individuals. This is the way to emancipate oneself also from an economic point of view. 

4. As we celebrate International Women's Day, could you share your thoughts on how this day influences the public's and policymakers' perception of gender-based violence and gender equality? 

I would like to remind you that a Harvard professor, Claudia Goldin, has just been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics for her work on the 'gender gap' in the labour market. I am convinced that we, local and regional leaders, can be the change, but only if we are able to build a real educational community, as Pope Francis has also called for. 

5. Looking forward, what are your hopes for the future in terms of achieving gender equality and eradicating gender-based violence, and what steps do you believe are crucial to getting there? 

As I already said when answering the first question, I believe that daily, long and hard work is essential. The anniversaries certainly have a value in bringing the issue back to the attention of citizens and politicians, but only if we do not run the risk of inviting some expert to speak at a conference and then everything ends there or, even worse, of turning an emergency into a commercial celebration. I believe that governments, institutions and the media -- which play a crucial role in influencing public opinion -- can make a difference, but I also believe that each woman must make the best effort to build her own life. As far as I am concerned, in addition to my commitment in Europe, I called for the establishment to set up a Commission of Inquiry against feminicide in Umbria, my region, in order to assure real continuity to my work, not only in the family but also as a representative of the institutions. 

This interview was done in framework of the CoR Young Elected Politician Programme.​