Pope Francis has called for stronger action on violence against women during a radio broadcast campaign in Italy.
Radio1Rai, the Italian state radio channel, joined the not-for-profit organisation Cadmi D.I.Re on Thursday in a joint campaign titled A long wave to combat male violence against women.
The campaign involved a full day of broadcasts to educate listeners on family and domestic violence and included a statement from the figurehead of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.
In his statement, he declared domestic violence as “a poisonous weed that plagues our society, and must be torn out at the roots… (that) grow in the dirt of prejudice, possession and injustice”.
“It is the responsibility of each of us to give a voice to our voiceless sisters,” Pope Francis said.
“Let us not remain indifferent! We must act now, at all levels, with determination, urgency and courage.”
The Pope spoke of the important yet “still ambiguous” role of mass media which, on one hand, “promotes the respect and empowerment of women”, while on the other also promotes “success, self-assertion, competition and the power to attract others to dominate them”.
“Where there is domination, there is abuse,” he said.
Italy is ranked 79 on the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, where Australia is ranked 26.
A report from 2021 found one in three women in Italy – nearly 7 million women – has experienced domestic violence in their lifetime, figures that worsened particularly during the global pandemic.
Pope Francis said the “scourge” of gender-based violence signals an urgent need to “rediscover forms of just and balanced relationships based on mutual respect”.
He highlighted the importance of education in shedding light on the urgency of the situation.
“In too many places and too many situations, women are put in the background, they are considered ‘inferior,’ objects,” Pope Francis said.
“And when a person is reduced to a thing, then one no longer sees her dignity, she is considered just property that can be used in any way and even killed.”
Despite the Catholic Church’s historic oppression of women, Pope Francis’ statement comes off the back of a watershed Assembly of the Synod of Bishops last month, where there were several “firsts” for women in the church that reflects the growth of recognition and female representation.
For the first time in the institution’s 2000-year history, women had a role to play at the Catholic religious gathering at Vatican City, as 54 nuns, sisters and other women were able to vote.
The gathering also saw its first female undersecretary, Sister Nathalie Becquart, and the first woman to preside over a Synod, Sister Maria de los Dolores Valencia Gomez.
A spokesperson from Catholic Religious Australia said the organisation welcomes Pope Francis’ comments.
“Domestic abuse is an insidious cancer that affects Australian women from all walks of life,” they said.
“The suffering inflicted on women and children through domestic violence has reached levels which should cause Australia as a nation to make radical changes.”
While domestic violence rates are the same in wider society as in the Catholic society, the organisation believes Christian leaders play a significant role in changing the culture.
“While education occurs at our Catholic schools on acceptable behaviours in relationships, more must be done to effect the change that is needed,” they said.
“‘Educational action’ on the equal dignity of men and women, respectful relationships, and a recognition of what constitutes abusive behaviour are very much needed in our church communities and society at large.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Instagram @franciscus