Illustrations by Rita Petruccioli
Introduced by the Italian Government in May 2020 at the outbreak of the pandemic the so-called “Freedom Income” is a support measure to respond to the specific economic needs of IPV survivors. Funded with 3 million euros in 2020, the Freedom Income was extended for 2021 and 2022 with an annual budget of 2 million euros, subsequently supplemented with a further 5 million euros. Made operational only in November 2021, the measure provides for a support of 400 euros per month, for a maximum of 12 months, to women involved in pathways out of violence certified by municipal social services and antiviolence centers.
The measure, at the onset welcomed by Italian antiviolence centres on the account of the persistent difficulties IPV survivors face in reaching and maintaining socio-economic independence, has raised numerous concerns. The first critical consideration concerns the scarcity of resources. On the one hand, the economic support granted to each women (400 euro per month for a maximum of 12 months), despite useful, will hardly be able to meaningfully contribute to the economic or housing independence of IPV survivors. On the other hand, the 3 million euros allocated for 2020 will allow a maximum of 625 women to benefit from the measure, compared to the approximately 50,000 women who are supported by antiviolence centres annually. As a way of example, to benefit one fifth of women supported by antiviolence centres, that is 10,000 women, the measure should have been funded with at least 48 million euros per year. That is a huge gap between real needs and the adopted solution.
Others critical issues identified by antiviolence centres concern the criteria established to access the measure. Together with a certification from the antiviolence centre, women are required to obtain a “certification” by municipal social services, therefore excluding those that are not or do not want to be supported by such services. Municipal social services are then asked to certify the “state of need” of IPV survivors, a condition that risk being reduced to the “formal” income situation without any consideration of the real accessibility of resources by IPV survivors, especially in cases of economic violence. Access to the Freedom Income is also denied for IPV survivors that at the time of the request cannot declare a “residence”, a requirement that risk discriminating IPV survivors of foreign origin.
Among the positive elements observed by antiviolence centres, it worth mentioning that the access to the Freedom Income is not conditioned to the presentation of a specific certification that in Italy is required to access almost all social benefits (the so-called “economic situation of families”). Moreover, the Freedom Income could be granted regardless of the “employment status” and, most importantly, it is compatible with other income support tools in place in Italy.
In conclusion, as violence against women is, as we all know, a structural problem, there is a need to transform the Freedom income into a structural measure addressing the real dimension of the phenomenon and the real needs of IPV survivors.
Add new comment