The referendum debate is becoming increasingly charged with words and narratives that call into question the judiciary's work, including with regard to male violence against women.  As a national association that works alongside women who have experienced violence, we feel it is our duty to remind everyone of this great responsibility.

“'If the No wins, there will be children torn from their mothers and rapists at liberty' is a declaration Extremely serious. Yet another example of the exploitation of women's experiences for propaganda purposes, this time expressed by President Meloni." declares Cristina Carelli, president of D.iRand "It is important, however, to remember that the best way to target rapists is to promote the recognition of sexual violence in courtrooms." Carelli continues “and that this will hardly happen if the proposed amendment to the law against sexual violence put forward by Senator Bongiorno, representative of the current government, passes” concludes Carelli.

Women's lives, bodies, and stories cannot become tools of political propaganda. Experiences of violence cannot be used as leverage to shape consensus, attack institutions, or fuel referendum campaigns. Every time this happens, public debate distances itself from women's realities and creates new wounds for women and for society as a whole.

The invitation is to vote with awareness and responsibility, recognizing and rejecting any attempt to use women and male violence as a means of assertiveness. Democracy is strengthened when public debate remains respectful: dragging women's lives into consensus strategies humiliates not only women, but everyone.