We must draw a different future!

Insights from the frontline antiviolence work during the pandemic in Italy

Pietro Demurtas and Caterina Peroni have published an article titled “We must draw a different future! Insights from the front line antiviolence work during the pandemic in Italy” in the Open Journal of Sociopolitical Studies “PArtecipazione e COnflitto“.

“In this article we analyze the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Italian anti-violence
system, through the eyes of the practitioners of anti-violence centers, who are historically at the forefront
in supporting women survivors of male violence. Their perspective is particularly relevant because, in Italy,
anti-violence centers hold a “borderline” position, which lies between the political role of transformation and
that of an actor of the private social provider of an ‘essential’ public service. On the basis of international
recommendations, our analysis distinguishes two main areas of intervention on which national policies have
been called to intervene: on one side, the protection of women victims of violence, and on the other their
empowerment. Analyzing either official statistics and data collected through an online survey addressed to
the practitioners of anti-violence centers during the lockdown, we highlight strengths and weaknesses of
the policy measures implemented in Italy from their situated perspective, with reference both to the
protection and the empowerment of survivors.”

The article is published in Open Access and is freely available to read and download.