AG About Gender - International Journal of Gender Studies
About Gender is an international, open-access, and peer-reviewed journal that welcomes contributions from all disciplines that use a conscious and articulate gender perspective in theoretical and empirical analysis. The journal has a semi-annual issue and publishes original articles in English, Italian, and Spanish, with a theoretical and empirical focus.
Genders, crime and criminal justice: Power, victimization and institutional harm
Copyright (c) 2026 AG About Gender - International Journal of Gender Studies https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From childbirth as an event to childbirth as an experience
Childbirth is often treated as a demographic event, yet for women it is a profoundly embodied experience that can reshape well-being, identity, and reproductive choices. Moving from childbirth as an event to childbirth as an experience allows for a deeper understanding of how physical and emotional dimensions of birth influence not only fertility trajectories but also broader aspects of women’s lives. Drawing parallels with the well-documented "motherhood penalty" in the labour market, where women experience systematic disadvantages due to caregiving responsibilities, the concept of an "Embodied Motherhood Penalty" (EMP) is proposed. This penalty reflects the physical and emotional toll that childbirth can have on women, potentially leading to delayed or reduced fertility, but also shaping family overall well-being and, potentially, other life domains. To address this gap, the paper calls for a multidisciplinary approach that includes perspectives from sociology, psychology, and feminist theory. Such an approach would ensure that women's bodies and experiences are no longer marginalized, offering a more holistic understanding of fertility behaviours. By placing women’s embodied experiences at the centre of the framework, the paper complements existing economic and policy explanations and deepens our understanding of fertility and family life. It calls for public policies that promote respectful, person-centred, and well-being-oriented maternal care. Keywords: fertility, body, motherhood penalty, well-being, experience, childbirth.
Experiences and perspectives of emancipation and leadership of Roma and Sinti women
The Roma and Sinti world is generally the subject of study for the persistent conditions of socio-economic precariousness and in reference to the discrimination and marginalization to which it is subjected, even more so when attention is focused on the female component. While recognizing the permanent inequalities and the duty to overcome them, the paper proposes to look at women to value them as active and proactive subjects. Through a review of the literature relating to the Roma and Sinti world and on women and feminism, it clearly emerges how Roma and Sinti women know how to make themselves protagonists. Women's participation, therefore, can be read in many areas and we will choose some of them: the ability to react to discrimination, the desire for youth change, dialogue with stakeholders, active participation in the dynamics of social and cultural development, manifestations of activism and feminism. The intent is to highlight female empowerment as a growth strategy, suggesting attention to women as the key to a more complete reading of reality and to conditions of effective equality and equal opportunities for women and society. Keywords: Roma and Sinti women, intersectionality, empowerment, participation, agency, freedom.
Chinese migrant women: gender roles between work and care
The article investigates how female migrants from the Zhejiang and Fujian provinces of China, residing in a medium-sized city in Veneto, reconcile their work and family lives. Given the position of women in China and considering the differences between rural and urban areas, it is crucial to understand whether migration alters the way different roles are balanced and what tensions may arise between these roles during the migratory experience. The paper aims to explore how the interviewed migrants experience the “double presence” between the working sphere and the family sphere, and how they connect their roles as workers with those as caregivers for family members. The study will also examine any conflicts between these roles and the strategies adopted by the migrants to address them. Keywords: Chinese women, gender relationship, migration, work, care.
Children’s rights from a gender and sexuality perspective: A scoping review
This study presents a scoping literature review aimed at exploring and understanding the current state of the art regarding how children’s and adolescents’ rights are represented in relation to gender and sexuality. Studies were selected through a process consistent with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). These were analysed to highlight relevant issues and to provide a synthesis of children’s rights from a gender and sexuality perspective. Five main themes emerge: 1) the construction of childhood: universality and innocence; 2) children’s rights and women’s rights; 3) childhood, gender, and sexuality; 4) children’s rights and bodies; 5) education. This scoping review provides several insights into recognising children as holders of gender and sexuality rights and emphasises the importance of working towards their acknowledgement. Keywords: children’s rights, UNCRC, gender, sexuality, education.
This article explores contemporary experiences of self-managed feminist and transfeminist health centers (consultorie) in Italy, analyzing their relationship with the legacy of the 1970s. The first self-managed feminist health centers emerged during that decade, embodying a radical critique of patriarchal medicine and enacting the feminist reclaiming of knowledge about the body. The use of this practice gradually declined following the establishment of public family health centers (consultori familiari) in 1975. In the last decade, new self-managed experiences have appeared in Italy that draw from and transform the 1970s model, often adapting it through a transfeminist lens. This article investigates the revival of this practice and the relationship with the past that such a gesture embodies, questioning the interplay between memory, legacies, and innovation within feminist and transfeminist movements. The case of self-managed health centers highlights a dual relationship with the legacies of the 1970s. On the one hand, these centers represent a model of grassroots, peer-based health care to be revitalized, particularly in response to the growing depoliticization of public family health centers. On the other hand, reviving a practice from the past provides an opportunity for a critical engagement with feminist legacies, reinterpreted through a transfeminist perspective. The analysis conducted in this article challenges the linear model of feminist “waves,” instead revealing the coexistence of continuity and innovation in the relationship with the past. Drawing on in-depth interviews and document analysis, the article examines how today’s self-managed health centers in Italy relate to their political genealogy, exploring the role of collective memory. Keywords: feminist movements, collective memory, health centers, transfeminism, health.
Riconoscere la discriminazione intersezionale: riflessioni sulla sterilizzazione non volontaria delle donne Rom e le possibilità di una giustizia equa e riparativa
Voci silenziate nelle imputazioni di femminicidio nello Stato del Paraná (2015-2020): contributi per uno sguardo decoloniale sul sistema di giustizia penale
La povertà in Italia e le implicazioni sociologiche che ne conseguono
Carrasco-Miró, Gisela (2025). Decolonizing feminist economics: Possibilities for just futures. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 220 pp.
Sassatelli Roberta, & Ghigi, Rossella (2024). Body and gender. Cambridge: Polity press, 257 pp.
Rigo, Enrica (2022). La straniera. Migrazioni, asilo, sfruttamento in una prospettiva di genere. Roma: Carocci, 142 pp.
Segato, Rita (2023). La guerra contro le donne. Napoli: Tamu, 316 pp.
Gender plays a key role in crime, as evidenced by the existence of a specific category of offences in which gender constitutes the underlying motive: male violence against women. Despite its structural and cultural roots, as highlighted by the Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe, 2011), this violence is frequently represented as a matter of private deviance (Belluati, 2021; Saccà, 2021a) and victims are portrayed as partially co-responsible for the violence they endure (Gius & Lalli, 2014; Hewa, 2021; Lalli, 2021; Saccà, 2021b, 2024). This process of secondary victimization tends to shift at least part of the responsibility from the perpetrator to the victim (Busso et al., 2020; Niccolini, 2020; Saccà, 2021b). Based on this assumption, this study – conducted within the framework of the PNRR Research “STEPSISTER-STEreotypes and PrejudiceS In preSs represenTation of gEndeR-violence” – analyzes news articles on intimate partner violence published in 2024 by 28 national newspapers (n=2091). Through quantitative-qualitative content analysis, the study aims to assess whether and to what extent the stereotypical frames and narratives that have historically shaped secondary victimization in the Italian press are still detectable or whether the representation has started to change. Overall, violence is still frequently framed in terms of jealousy and family disputes, resulting in a de-emphasis on the perpetrator in the former case and the normalization of violence in the latter. Nonetheless, some shifts are observed: the "raptus" frame, used to depict violence as a sudden loss of control, and references to “crime of passion” and romanticized narratives have significantly declined. While progress is evident, the representation of perpetrators remains inadequate, and victims are not yet fully acknowledged in their role. This framing can lead to tertiary victimization and increased levels of misjudgments in court (Saccà, 2021a, 2024; Massidda, 2021). Keywords: gender-based violence, secondary victimization, social representations.
This article reflects on the role of law in cases of violence in intimate partner relationships. Through interviews with legal actors and analysis of sentences, the study highlights the persistence of myths surrounding this type of violence and the presence of a legal imaginary influenced by gender stereotypes, which are ingrained in legal culture. These stereotypes and misconceptions contribute to the creation of a typology of victimisation that undermines the recognition of the victim's experience and perpetuates conservative judicial practices. The study concludes with the urgent need to develop transdisciplinary training programs that incorporate a legal gender pedagogy. Keywords: intimate partner violence, gender stereotypes, courts, victim, criminal justice system.
Femicide as an extreme crime: Judicial framing narratives
This interdisciplinary study examines how Italian courts construct legal meaning around femicide/feminicide by analyzing three emblematic rulings: Castaldo–Matei, Gozzini–Maioli, and Turetta–Cecchettin. Using a legal framework and a sociological qualitative framing approach grounded in Goffman (1974) and Entman (1993), the research maps the narrative devices through which judges select facts, invoke psychiatric expertise, and apply – or deny – aggravating/mitigating circumstances. Two dominant frames emerge. First, jealousy is presented as a punitive emotional surge or – from a pathological perspective – as a clinical syndrome of “delusional jealousy”: the perpetrator of femicide/femininicide is either to be condemned to life imprisonment as a "monster" deserving hard punishment or acquitted as a "madman". Second, restrictive judicial interpretations of Article 612-bis (persecutory acts) and Article 61(1)(4) (cruelty) narrow the preventive reach of sentinel offences. Cyber-surveillance, digital records of the victim's words, and protracted suffering are downplayed, while selective citation of expert testimony can justify mitigation or full exculpation. These interpretive choices affect judicial outcomes, public perception, and victims' willingness to report harassment. Framing analysis does not aim to evaluate judgments: it can merely contribute to understanding the implicit social arrangements in which even legal actors run, although within specific limits. Despite recognizing the inherent limitations of a three-case study analysis, our article seeks to highlight the significance of interdisciplinary approaches, offering insights into how prevailing interpretive frames often individualize the crime of femicide/feminicide and conceal underlying structural gender asymmetry. Keywords: femicide, framing analysis, judicial interpretation, Italian legal system, forensic psychiatric role.
Surviving the blame: Resisting secondary victimization in trials for male violence against women
The present work aims to contribute to the secondary victimization debate, specifically analyzing how secondary victimization is produced through the language of public prosecutors and defense attorney in examinations and cross-examinations, respectively. This paper is divided into two parts. In the first one, early CA studies on secondary victimization will be presented from a critical perspective, highlighting the results of such research and, more importantly, how said studies have contributed to defining and analyzing the phenomenon of secondary victimization in criminal trials. In the second part, in line with the approach, court transcripts will be analyzed, from a wider collection of real-life trials from Italian and U.S. courts. This will allow us to show how the victims become an active part during the cross-examinations, that is, instead of passively enduring the invasive and derogatory questions of public and defense attorneys, victims begin to resist the harmful implications of such questions. Keywords: secondary victimization, victim, rape trial, violence against women, conversation analysis.
Criminal law approaches to combatting sexist hate speech in Spain
This article examines the concept of sexist hate speech, analysing its legal regulation and judicial enforcement within the Spanish legal framework while situating it in the broader international and European context. It highlights the evolving interpretation of hate speech offenses following the 2015 reform of the Spanish Penal Code, which incorporated gender as a protected category under Article 510. Nevertheless, judicial case law continues to reflect ambiguities in the distinction between “sex” and “gender”, resulting in inconsistent legal interpretations and outcomes. The study explores the tensions between freedom of expression and the need to combat gender-based discrimination, addressing how courts have struggled to delineate the threshold between offensive speech and unlawful hate speech. By analysing landmark judicial cases, the article identifies shifts in the conceptualization of sexist hate speech, particularly in relation to the digital sphere and intersectionality. The growing influence of online platforms in the dissemination of gendered hate speech is examined, along with the implications of the European Union’s Digital Services Act and other regulatory measures. The article concludes by proposing strategies to strengthen the legal framework while safeguarding fundamental rights, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach that integrates legal, educational, and technological measures to effectively address the structural and intersectional nature of sexist hate speech. Keywords: hate speech, freedom of expression, symbolic violence, gender-based discrimination.
The present work is part of a broader research which found that female sexual honesty functioned as a formal social control norm in the sphere of sexual crimes in Brazilian First Republic (1890-1930) (Sassi, 2023). A bibliographic review of studies on criminal procedure and an analysis of jurisprudential materials cited by Brazilian legal doctrine were conducted, with a focus on the crime of rape. The objective was to understand 1) how discriminatory discourses were (re)produced during criminal proceedings, reinforcing gender, class and race stereotypes associated with female sexuality; and 2) how and to what extent female victims of rape, intersected by markers of race (non-white) and class (poor), adhered to the discriminatory gender discourses propagated by justice operators. It was found that the imputation of the category "virgin or not, but dishonest", implicit in the interpretation of the Criminal Code, suppressed the presumption of honesty for virgin women and the presumption of violence for young women under the age of 16, subjecting complainants to a judgment of their honesty. Keywords: rape, secondary victimization, sexual honesty, criminal legal history.
Unpacking feminist understandings of abolitionism in responding to gender-based violence: Theoretical insights towards a new framework
In the aftermath of austerity measures and in the wake of a right-wing populist wave across the globe, the growing inequalities and diminishing rights endured by women and queer people call for a closer investigation of gender and gender-based violence. The spatial articulation of cities as a materialization of hetero-patriarchal power relations has become an essential place for the struggle against gender-based violence. It, thus, becomes crucial to investigate the challenge posed by feminist groups against these structures by unravelling power structures in public space and shaping solutions to gender-based violence. One crucial yet overlooked aspect is the development of transformative justice perspectives within feminist struggles to create inclusive and non-violent public spaces. Originating from prison abolitionist movements, this concept develops a community-based approach to justice, understanding the role of structural oppressions in the enactment of violence. Lying at the intersection between feminist geography, abolitionist thought, and social movement studies, this article advances a theoretical contribution to the understanding of collective action. With a comprehensive literature review considering these three strands, this article further investigates the interplay between social movements and justice, arguing for the advantages of incorporating a transformative justice perspective when looking at feminist practices to challenge gender-based violence. The argument is strengthened by exemplary cases of feminist groups adopting abolitionist perspectives and transformative practices. This theoretical work explores the potential of transformative justice in envisioning radical societal changes, as well as showing how this perspective complements feminist visions and repertoires of action. Keywords: transformative justice, gender-based violence, abolitionism, social movements, feminism.
A needed encounter: Relational justice as an intersection between abolitionism and gender
Starting from a broadly abolitionist standpoint, this contribution aims to offer an analysis of what will be defined as “relational justice”, a category that opens up possibilities for the identification of forms of conflict resolution that are alternative to the penal system framework. After outlining the necessary theoretical premises, the analysis engages with La trama alternativa by Giusi Palomba, which explores the field of the so-called transformative justice – starting from an episode of gender-based violence. Within this framework, the gender issue emerges as both intertwined and compatible with an abolitionist approach, given the various forms the latter can take. Through the encounter between these two perspectives, the goal is to uncover deeper meaning in relation to alternative practices of engaging with conflicts with criminal relevance. By moving beyond an offender-centered perspective, the multiple subjectivities involved in what the criminal justice system reduces to a mere criminal act can emerge, thus opening the way to strategies for reclaiming conflict. Keywords: abolitionism, gender issue, relational justice, transformation, restoration.
Restorative Justice is a system of criminal justice focused on the victim’s story which tends towards a reparation, at least a symbolic one, of the harm caused by the offence. Unlike the traditional retributive model, in the Restorative Justice system the offender’s punishment falls into the background, and on the contrary, it focuses on the chance to sew the tear between victims and authors, and also between authors and the community at large. Thereby, Restorative Justice empowers all those affected to explain their thoughts and feelings around what happened. It restores the victim’s dignity and assigns the rightful responsibilities to the offender. Over the years, some projects of Restorative Justice have been activated in Italy, primarily in the field of child justice. In addition, the Cartabia reform introduced new laws to encourage the use of this approach. Considering the great attention that this approach offers to the victims’ needs and to the importance of an authentic and generative dialogue, it could be very helpful when dealing with homolesbobitransphobic incidents. This approach would allow the queer victims to tell their stories and the offenders to acknowledge the pain caused by their actions. But it doesn’t end here: Restorative Justice can set up rehabilitative programs in order to dismantle the ideas and preconceptions that led to the offence, developing empathy towards others. The application of Restorative Justice has the potential to help with the victim recognition and the creation of rehabilitative programs that could have an impact on the community at large. However, implementing restorative activities implies a series of limitations as to the operators’ training. People who work with victims and offenders must be prepared and educated about hate crimes against the LGBTQIA+ community, along with their consequences on society. For instance, the Italian justice system doesn't include a specific criminal offence that recognises sexual orientation and gender identity as motivations that lead to the commission of hate crimes. Therefore, the objective of this article is to examine the current Italian scenario on the matter, by observing what kind of projects have been implemented and their outcomes. In order to do so, the authors will analyse the documentation produced at a national and european level. Moreover, the authors will get in touch with associations dedicated to the promotion of restorative projects to get to know their direct experiences in this field. Our goal is to underline the potential of Restorative Justice and to offer solutions to overcome its limitations. The underlying belief is that the improvement of written documentation on the matter is the first step to spark a deep reflection, which would serve as a foundation for the creation and implementation of new, conscious, and effective projects. Keywords: Restorative Justice, LGBTQIA+, hate crimes.
Practicing Dorothy Smith’s feminist alternative sociology in the criminal justice system: A case study
This paper illustrates, through a case study, the potential of Institutional Ethnography (IE) as a research approach to study and transform the criminal justice system. IE is a research approach developed by the Canadian sociologist Dorothy E. Smith that focuses on how texts and language coordinate people’s lives across different contexts. In resisting prescriptive theories, Smith (1987) defined IE as an ‘alternative sociology’, a combination of an innovative feminist-Marxian critique of the sociological tradition and insights from ethnomethodology. IE examines institutional forms of social organisation, placing texts as replicable material objects at the centre of its analysis. IE analysis begins with people’s everyday/everynight embodied experiences, interactions, and discursive relations of ruling. However, rather than generalising from individuals’ experiences, IE examines how individuals are organised by already generalised texts and discourses. Initially described as a sociology for women, IE has since been used by, and for, people of all genders. The application of IE to the field of the criminal justice system has expanded over the last two decades. Following early IE work on homophobic policing of gay men and on domestic violence, the need for IE research and impact in this field has been clearly established. This paper utilises a research study on domestic violence and institutional biases conducted in three countries as a case study to demonstrate how IE can be applied. The analysis highlights the gaps between victims’ needs and institutional discourses and procedures and the practices of frontline workers. By recognising these ‘disjunctures’, IE provides empirically grounded suggestions for effective processual change. This paper also emphasises the methodological versatility of IE. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates how IE aligns with a pluralistic sociological perspective that embraces anti-positivist, feminist, action-oriented qualitative research, and how IE can help scholars challenge dominant ruling discourses within the criminal justice system. Keywords: institutional ethnography, gender, criminal justice system, social research methods, domestic violence.
Women, criminal power, and violence: The case of the Casamonica Clan
This study explores the role of women within the Casamonica group through an intersectional perspective integrating gender, ethnicity, and class, with particular attention to violence as both experienced and enacted. The Casamonica constitute a relevant case for the analysis of emerging indigenous mafia formations: a network of interconnected families of Romani origin primarily based in Rome and its surrounding areas, which has progressively acquired features typical of established criminal organizations. In recent years, both sociological scholarship and judicial discourse have increasingly framed the group within the category of mafia-type organizations. Drawing on the concept of the matrix of domination, the article examines how power relations are constructed, reproduced, and legitimized, emphasizing the centrality of gendered and private violence as mechanisms of social regulation. Within the group, women’s roles reflect patterns observed in organizations such as the Camorra and the ’Ndrangheta, while remaining deeply embedded in Romani cultural traditions. The analysis is situated within a broader framework that connects criminal relations, models of territorial infiltration, cross-cutting social relations, and forms of popular sovereignty. The study adopts a qualitative and intersectional methodology based on biographical and semi-structured interviews, alongside the analysis of judicial documents and court rulings. Women’s life histories are examined to investigate how notions of honor and the body emerge as products of inequality shaped by specific criminal relational models. Despite the heterogeneity of individual experiences, the findings reveal recurring patterns of legitimation structured around dynamics of continuity and discontinuity, imitation and contamination, and recognition and stigmatization. These dynamics are articulated across four analytical dimensions: structural, practical-disciplinary, interpersonal, and hegemonic. Together, they highlight the complex and ambivalent role of women in the reproduction and legitimization of mafia-type power. Keywords: women, violence, criminal power.
Gendered justice and symbolic power: A qualitative analysis of the criminal law assessment practice of human trafficking in German criminal proceedings
This article explores how gender ideologies shape legal assessments in German human trafficking cases, with a particular focus on women as co-offenders, accomplices, or perpetrators. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of 93 criminal case files concluded between 2009 and 2013, the study interrogates prosecutorial decisions and judicial sentencing in cases involving sexual exploitation. While legal criteria appeared formally gender-neutral, subjective evaluations ‒ such as perceived credibility, lifestyle, caregiving roles, or emotional behavior ‒ revealed deep-seated gender biases. Female victims were frequently assigned partial responsibility for their victimization, especially when previously involved in prostitution or emotionally connected to the accused. The findings are interpreted through the lens of symbolic power (Bourdieu), rape myth acceptance, and gender-role ideology. Legal actors, through discretionary decision-making, play an active role in reproducing normative gender narratives and legitimizing symbolic violence. This article contributes to feminist criminology by highlighting how institutional practices reinforce structural inequalities and by calling for both legal reforms and critical reflection on the cultural assumptions embedded in the criminal justice system. Keywords: gendered justice, human trafficking, female offender, gender norms, symbolic power.
Constructing radicalisation, gender, and free will: An analysis of SIAC decision in the Shamima Begum case
This article critically examines SIAC’s discussion of the Shamima Begum case and her swift categorisation as a national security threat, which led to the revocation of her citizenship. It argues that the Secretary of State’s assessment of the level of risk she poses, as well as SIAC’s long discussion about her free will when she joined ISIS, fails to adequately account for the intersection of age, gender, and ethnicity in evaluating her case. An intersectional approach would have facilitated an understanding of the structural and gendered roots of the problem and provided a more effective framework for addressing the radicalisation of young women. Rather than offering new insights into minors joining ISIS, this case strengthens the gender narratives through which Shamima has been constructed, reinforcing simplistic Orientalist binaries which reproduce patriarchal narratives and dehumanise depictions of Muslim women. This, in turn, results in policies that ignore the complexities of young women’s radicalisation and lead to discrimination and human rights violations. Keywords: Shamima Begum, gender and radicalisation, free will/autonomy, risk assessment.
When gender kills: Russell’s conceptualization of femicide and its empirical analysis in Italy
This article aims to provide an updated and detailed overview of femicide in Italy, following the feminist conceptualization advanced by Diana E. H. Russell (see Radford & Russell, 1992; Russell, 1992). To do so, the study draws on an original dataset covering all femicides committed in Italy in 2023, based on information reported by the media. First, the paper outlines the different types of lethal episode that fall within the scope of femicide as defined by Russell, emphasizing the role of institutional, cultural, and social contexts in shaping both the legal status and operational definition of this crime. It then examines national and regional trends over the past quarter-century, before delving into the details of each reported case of femicide: number of individuals involved, victim–alleged perpetrator relationship, presence of witnesses and other victims, location, weapon and modus operandi, age, citizenship, and legal and criminal histories of both victim and alleged perpetrator. Additional details considered include any prior romantic involvement, decisions and timelines regarding separation, previous threats and violence between the victim and the alleged perpetrator, as well as the perpetrator’s sex, post-crime behavior, timing of arrest, and post-arrest conduct. The findings indicate that femicides in Italy almost invariably occur in intimate or romantic relationships, whether ongoing or over. The intimacy between perpetrator and victim is underscored by several characteristics of these crimes. While many cases involve individuals with no previous criminal background, some alleged perpetrators had already embarked on a deviant career, marked by threats and violence against the women they ultimately killed. A particularly striking feature is the frequent decision of alleged perpetrators to take their own lives after committing the crime. The concluding reflections emphasize that adopting an intersectional approach can be advantageous in developing an operational definition of femicide and enhancing our understanding of it. Keywords: femicide, Diana E. H. Russell, Italy, violence against women.
Perception of risks and tools for fighting violence against women
Violence against women is a phenomenon that has taken on alarming levels, taking on the connotations of a real social problem that transcends social classes, cultural profiles, ages and territories. Thanks to the IRIS-Inapp experimental survey, we investigated the relationship between the perceived risk and the perception of the contrast to the factors that fuel the risk related to violence against women, observing the preferences for contrast measures both with descriptive analyses and with a logit model that tends to identify which members of the population feel more exposed. Keywords: gender-based violence, data, perceived safety.
Emotions and gender identity in detention
This study analyzes the emotional experiences of transgender women detained in section G8 of the Rebibbia New Complex prison, a context that has so far received little scholarly attention in Italy. The research adopts an emotional perspective and an affective dimension as its primary interpretive lens. Emotions—such as anger, fear, jealousy, guilt, and sadness—are not understood as isolated subjective reactions, but as sensitive indicators of the symbolic and normative violence produced by the prison system. Using a qualitative approach and creative narrative tools, including the use of tarot cards, the study explores the emotional dimensions of detention for the group under examination, as well as the everyday practices through which transgender subjectivities attempt to reclaim themselves and their bodies within a highly regulated environment. The aim is to reconstruct the complexity of lived experiences across both micro (cognitive and emotional) and macro (social and cultural) levels, identifying the prison not only as a site of control and constraint, but also as a liminal space in which new narratives, identities, and possibilities for recognition take shape. Keywords: emotions, transgender people, prison, tarot cards, Rebibbia prison.
Health care in correctional settings: The health needs of women prisoners
In the Italian scientific community, the sociology of health has seldom examined penitentiaries (Ronco, 2018), and even more rarely, the specific context of women’s prisons. While international literature offers broader insights (Kouyoumdjian et al., 2015), studies focused on women remain marginal and predominantly quantitative. This article addresses this gap by adopting a micro sociological perspective to examine the interactions shaping care and custody practices through the voices of incarcerated women. The empirical data stems from a year-long research project in a female section of an adult penitentiary in central-northern Italy. Employing a triangulation of methods — participant observation, document analysis, and discursive interviews — the study captures the narratives and strategies used by women to address their care needs (Sterchele, 2021). Despite the challenges of qualitative research in carceral settings (Sbraccia & Vianello, 2010), the findings highlight health as an urgent daily issue. In prison, women face intersecting layers of oppression: as detainees in a system designed for men (Rostaing, 2017), and as patients subjected to a medical authority that marginalizes "profane" knowledge (Pizzini, 1990). Furthermore, as female patients, they experience a specific medicalized gaze that differs significantly from the male experience (Carlen, 1983; Sim, 1990). Consequently, this study emphasizes the necessity of an intersectional and gender-specific lens to fully understand the carceral context. While prison paradoxically represents the first point of contact with continuous healthcare for some (Massaro, 2018), the environment remains structurally inadequate for female vulnerabilities (Pecorella, 2018). Keywords: prison institution, correctional health care, women prisoners, women’s health, female bodies.
Women public prosecutors working in the antimafia sector
This article explores the gendered dynamics shaping the professional trajectories of women Public Prosecutors in Italy’s antimafia sector – a domain marked by institutional prestige, high workload intensity, and protective constraints. Drawing on gender-disaggregated statistics from the Consiglio superiore della magistratura and qualitative interviews with eleven women magistrates across generations and offices, the study starts by tracing the historical background of women’s admission to the Italian judiciary and by revealing persistent patterns of vertical and horizontal segregation – despite the feminization process undertaken by the profession in the last three decades. It, then, discusses women’s engagement in the antimafia sector, namely in the Public Prosecutors offices dealing specifically with organized crime – including Direzioni Distrettuali Antimafia (DDA), at local level, and Direzione Nazionale Antimafia e Antiterrorismo (DNNA), at central level. Finally, the article focuses on the process of professionalisation of women Antimafia Public Prosecutors and the implications of some specific characteristics of the job – for example, having protection – on their everyday life. Keywords: women, antimafia, public prosecutors, professionalism, double presence.
Legal blind spots: The challenges of recognizing and addressing Intimate Partner Violence in LGBT communities within the legal system
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) within LGBT relationships remains an underexplored phenomenon, often overlooked by institutions and inadequately addressed within the legal system. Existing literature highlights the underestimation of its prevalence and the lack of tailored legal and protective measures. However, the scarcity of systematic data and the absence of structured debate on this issue hinder a comprehensive understanding of how the justice system responds to IPV in same-sex and LGBT relationships. This study aims to investigate the visibility of IPV victims within LGBT relationships, assess the extent to which such cases emerge in the judicial system, and examine how legal professionals and law enforcement agencies engage with the phenomenon. To address these questions, a qualitative methodology was employed, consisting of semi-structured interviews with 28 legal professionals, including lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and police officers operating in the Emilia-Romagna and Sicilia regions, in Italy. The data collection process was preceded by exploratory interviews to identify key challenges in detecting and addressing IPV within LGBT relationships, given its deeply concealed nature. Some emerging findings suggest that institutional responses to IPV in same-sex relationships remain fragmented and often insufficient, potentially leading to further discrimination. Limited training among legal professionals and law enforcement may hinder a nuanced understanding of the specific dynamics involved, while the absence of systematic data collection and the challenges in proving psychological and economic abuse risk underestimating the phenomenon. Difficulties in recognizing and appropriately addressing IPV within LGBT relationships could also contribute to secondary victimization and erode trust in the system. Furthermore, limited coordination between judicial actors, victim support services, and LGBT organizations appears to weaken the effectiveness of intervention and assistance strategies. These insights highlight the need for structural improvements, including targeted training and more comprehensive data collection, to enhance awareness and promote fairer access to justice. Keywords: IPV, LGBT, secondary victimization, institutional responses.
Women victims of trafficking: Forced criminality and the criminal justice system’s failure to recognize agency, victimization, and exploitation
This article explores how the criminal justice system misrecognizes women victims of trafficking who are forced into criminal activities. Drawing on feminist criminological theory and international legal instruments, this critique challenges the binary opposition between “victim” and “offender,” advocating instead for an intersectional and gender-sensitive approach. The principle of non-punishment, as codified in EU Directive 2011/36 and the Palermo Protocol, is examined in light of recent Italian jurisprudence. Case analysis and feminist advocacy highlight the systemic failure to acknowledge constrained agency and the continuum of coercion. The article argues for a structural transformation of criminal justice frameworks, proposing feminist-informed legal interpretations that prioritize the voices of survivors and social justice over penal logics. Keywords: trafficking in human beings, non-punishment principle, feminist criminology, forced criminality, gender-based violence.