How to recognise it, prevent it and defend yourself. An event at the Ministry of Justice
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Directorate-General for Personnel and Training of the Department of Judicial Organisation, Personnel and Services of the Ministry of Justice is promoting a discussion and training session dedicated to one of the most significant and growing phenomena: digital violence against women.
The event will take place today, Tuesday 25 November, at 10 a.m., in the “Unità d'Italia” room of the Court of Appeal of Rome, with the possibility of following the event remotely via the Teams virtual area.
An urgent and topical issue
Digital violence - which includes hate speech, control through apps, emotional manipulation, non-consensual dissemination of images, and online stalking - is part of a continuum of violence that affects the lives of many women and girls, with concrete consequences on their psychological well-being, relationships, and safety. International data shows that 38% of women have experienced online violence and 85% have witnessed episodes of digital violence against other people. Furthermore, over 90% of non-consensual pornographic deepfakes involve women.
This phenomenon particularly affects younger women: in the 16–24 age group, the rate of physical or sexual violence has risen to 37.6%, while sexual violence has almost doubled, reaching 30.8% [see Istat data].
Institutional greetings
Opening remarks:
- Giuseppe Meliadò, President of the Court of Appeal of Rome
- Giusi Bartolozzi, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Justice
- Lina Di Domenico, Head of the Judicial Organisation Department
- Antonella Ciriello, Head of the Ministry's Department for Technological Innovation
- Mirta Michilli, Director General of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS
- Alessia Scarpellini, Social Impact and ESG, Google
Speeches
The meeting opened with Maria Rosaria Covelli, President of the Ministry's Observatory on Gender-Based and Domestic Violence.
The session dedicated to “Respect and Safety Online” featured speeches by:
- Barbara Strappato, Director of the First Division of the Postal Police and Cyber Security Service
- Gabriella Covino, lawyer and promoter of the Uguale per Tutte (Equal for All) project
Next, Claudia Campisi, psychologist and trainer at the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, will explore prevention and digital first aid to help women navigate safely and recognise signs of online abuse and manipulation in a timely manner.
