.
Although Prime Minister Meloni champions ‘family values’ in her government’s policies, her critics argue that she has done little to protect women from violence. They point to the inadequate resources allocated to the domestic violence services in Italy, which results in an inability to provide even basic support for those facing violence in the home. The government’s failure to offer robust financial support to shelters that provide safe havens for women escaping violence has left many with no choice but to remain in danger. Furthermore, Italy’s inadequate response to the issue of gender-based violence has been heavily criticized. This has included disagreement over how its judicial system has interpreted certain aspects of domestic violence. Finally, Italy has yet to ratify the Istanbul Convention, an international treaty on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. While Meloni has made promises to improve gender equality in her government, many are still skeptical of how successful her efforts will be.
