Italy’s parliament has approved a new law that treats the gender-motivated killing of women as a separate offence punishable by life imprisonment.
The vote, held on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, passed unanimously with all 237 deputies backing the measure.
The bill was proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and received support from both the government and opposition benches.
The change was driven in part by outrage over the murder of 22-year-old Giulia Cecchettin, who was killed by her former partner in November 2023.
Her family’s public campaign and national protests helped focus attention on violence against women.
An expert group that helped draft the law reviewed 211 recent killings of women to identify patterns and motivations.
Under the new rules, authorities must record murders committed out of hatred, control, domination or discrimination against women — including attacks linked to a partner leaving a relationship or attempts to restrict a woman’s freedoms — as femicide.
Italy will now join a small number of EU countries with a legal definition of femicide, including Cyprus, Malta and Croatia.
The change also aims to make gender-motivated killings visible in official records and trigger harsher penalties.
Police figures show 116 women were killed in Italy last year, with 106 of those deaths viewed as gender-motivated.
The law establishes an automatic life sentence for crimes classified as femicide, intended as a deterrent.
Giulia’s father has focused his response on prevention rather than punishment, setting up a foundation and speaking in schools about respect and emotional education.
Campaigners say early education on emotions and relationships is essential but have run into resistance over making such classes mandatory.
Not everyone supports the new law.
Some legal experts warn the definition may be vague and hard to prove in court, and argue that more resources and policies tackling inequality are needed to make a real difference.
Activists and researchers stress that criminalisation must be paired with broader efforts to reduce gender gaps and cultural attitudes that enable violence.
Italy currently ranks low in the Global Gender Gap Index and campaigners say tackling structural inequality is central to preventing future crimes.
Parliamentary debate ran late into the evening and the vote was met with applause.
Supporters say the law opens a long-overdue national conversation about violence rooted in gender, while acknowledging that substantial work remains to translate the new legal framework into lasting social change.
