This work aims to investigate to what extent the application of the securitization theory to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Italy during the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic was successful. The methodological framework used was developed in 1998 by the Copenhagen School of Security Studies to address certain issues as security concerns, performing a dialogical operation called speech act, to convince a credible audience to deploy extraordinary measures. By analyzing two further revisions to the initial formulation of the theory, namely macrosecuritization and the ensuing securitization dilemma, the paper argues that the Italian Government and its appointed Department for Equal Opportunities were not able to carry out a powerful speech act or implement strong emergency actions because the containment of the virus prevailed over securing women and girls.
A home is a safe place only for men: the failing securitization of the “shadow pandemic” in Italy
Lucia Botti
2023-01-01
Abstract
This work aims to investigate to what extent the application of the securitization theory to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Italy during the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic was successful. The methodological framework used was developed in 1998 by the Copenhagen School of Security Studies to address certain issues as security concerns, performing a dialogical operation called speech act, to convince a credible audience to deploy extraordinary measures. By analyzing two further revisions to the initial formulation of the theory, namely macrosecuritization and the ensuing securitization dilemma, the paper argues that the Italian Government and its appointed Department for Equal Opportunities were not able to carry out a powerful speech act or implement strong emergency actions because the containment of the virus prevailed over securing women and girls.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
