Proceedings of The 3rd Global Conference on Women’s Studies
Year: 2022
DOI:
[Fulltext]
GBV against Female Migrants in Time of COVID-19: Assessing Italian Negligence during the Pandemic
Roberta Maria Aricò
ABSTRACT:
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, female refugees, asylum seekers, victims of trafficking and migrants have been increasingly exposed to different forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Focusing in particular on Italy, it is possible to affirm that the already limited rights granted to displaced women before the pandemic risk being further overlooked and deteriorated due to COVID-19 restrictions and other national priorities set to counter the virus. In order to address female migrants’ specific needs, some recommendations have been issued by competent treaty bodies and special rapporteurs that aim at committing States parties to counter violence against women by protecting, promoting, respecting, and fulfilling victims’ rights in a targeted manner. Therefore, this article intends to highlight if and to what extent Italy has been addressing the negative effects of COVID-19 on migrant women suffering from GBV in light of the most relevant regional and international guidelines and statements. By outlining a brief overview of female migrants’ condition in Italy before and during the pandemic and assessing the far too generic scope of the recommendations under scrutiny, the paper shows Italy’s insufficient efforts in tackling displaced women’s demands and points out possible paths for future improvements.
keywords: Coronavirus; international recommendations; Italy; migrant women’s rights; violence against women.