The term femicide is introduced for the first time by criminologist Diana H. Russel to define those situations in which a woman's death is the outcome/consequence of misogynistic attitudes or practices.
Mexican anthropologist and politician Marcela Lagarde introduces, conversely, the term feminicide to describe 'the extreme form of gender-based violence against women, produced by the violation of their human rights in the public and private spheres through various misogynistic conduct such as mistreatment, physical, psychological, sexual, educational, labour, economic, property, family, community, and institutional violence, which, by placing women in a defenceless and risky condition, can culminate in the killing or attempted killing of the woman herself".
Both definitions emphasise the the subaltern condition of women forced to live in a society that is still profoundly patriarchal, a circumstance that puts the safety of women themselves at serious risk.
Both definitions lead us to think that all murders of women by men can be considered feminicides or femmicides because the social, economic, cultural prevarication that the male sex exerts over women is endemicunquestionable, glaringly obvious.
However, in Italy i data disclosed by the State Police highlight a decrease in feminicides why 'not all murders of women' are considered to be such.
An interpretation, this, extremely dangerous that could lead to a distorted reading of the data concerning murders of women, and that fails to recognise and deliberately erases violence to which the female sex is exposed on a daily basis.
An interpretation on which we must reflect and be vigilant.
