Less than 50 years have passed since the law in Italy allowed the paterfamilias to use (and often abuse of) correction and disciplinary means on wives and children: the so-called marital authority was abolished only in 1975, when the family law was reformed. Since then, a lot has been done to counter the violence perpetrated by men on women. But the path has not been smooth, nor short. The real turning point was the year 2013, when Italy adopted the Istanbul Convention and the anti-femicide decree introduced a number of preventive and repressive measures.

The Extraordinary Plan against sexual and gender violence, introduced in 2015 and followed in 2017 by the Strategic National Plan on men's violence on women and by several laws (concerning economic compensation, paid leave, safeguard of orphans from femicide), have increased the number of protection measures for women. Yet the enforcement of such measures has often been left to circular letters or other secondary deeds that make it difficult for the victim to get to know what tools are available to her, and to request their implementation. Even uncertainty of the allocation of funds, or their scarcity, has hindered the enforcement of measures and services meant to protect victims of violence (as well as their children).

The Impact Assessment Office, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, has drafted a practical handbook - the first in a new series of publications - to help better understand the national and regional assistance measures. From shelter homes for women fleeing from violent partners to the so-called Codice Rosa (Pink Code) that facilitates immediate assistance to be given to victims who show up at A&E in hospitals; from awareness-raising campaigns in schools to rehabilitation centres for violent men: here is a review of the most significant resources.