Debate contributions by Alessandra MORETTI

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is not your fault; It's not your skirt's fault. It's not that glass's fault. It's not your fault if you don't love him anymore, if you have a better job than his, if you said yes before but then changed your mind: It is always the fault of those who commit violence and the denunciation should not be seen as a shame. I'm talking to a third of European women. Yes, because one in three has suffered some form of violence. And violence is not just physical violence or femicide, which in Italy has already recorded about 100 victims this year. There are also psychological violence, the control of every action, the deprivation of economic independence: Violence continues to increase, and the majority are already inside our homes. We need a cultural revolution to undermine the patriarchy that still dominates us. We need to teach respect for people's bodies in schools and we need children to learn to accept no, because violence is always the one against consent. Women's violence is a problem for men who must become protagonists of this battle, because a society free from violence, a society free from fear is a better society for all.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, seven women have already died in Poland as a result of the ban on abortion. Polish law is one of the most restrictive in Europe, a law that not only restricts women's freedom, but heavily affects the duty of doctors to care for people. Criminalizing abortion does not eliminate abortion, but makes it clandestine and dangerous for women. An illegitimate intrusion of politics that recalls a debate these days in which an Italian minister even goes so far as to ask doctors to behave like spies. We all hoped that with the change of government something would change in Poland: It wasn't like that. The right has still disappointed women and girls, who have taken to the streets in Poland and throughout Europe, to remember that everyone must be guaranteed the fundamental right to self-determination. It is not just about health rights, it is about health services, it is about fundamental rights defended in the rule of law. Know that we women will no longer allow you to decide on our bodies.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, according to the World Health Organisation, one in eight people suffers from mental disorders. A situation exacerbated by the pandemic but also by wars and extreme climate effects that also disproportionately affect our young people. The European Health Union must include the Pillar of Rights, in particular the right to state-of-the-art, quality public health for all, including mental health services. This is why we consider the cuts proposed by the Council on the budget for the EU4Health programme unacceptable, when health funds are expected to increase. We call on the next Commission to maintain a high level of focus on health, which is the most valuable asset for the majority of European citizens. This is why I think that one of the battles that we will have to carry out is that of a directive that establishes minimum health services at European level for all, against discrimination and inequalities that are unfortunately still very present.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the right to health is a major concern for our citizens. Recently, Europe has approved a reform of the pharmaceutical legislation, but this reform effort cannot be complete without an update of the rules for medical devices. The objectives are common: accessibility, fair prices for all citizens, Europe's strategic autonomy and independence from third countries, the competitiveness of our businesses in the service of public interests. All this requires a public commitment to the research and development of medical devices and products, which does not replace private efforts, but rather supports and complements them. In the last parliamentary term, our group strongly proposed a public research infrastructure, acting in the public interest, which unfortunately was not included in the pharmaceutical package. I ask the Commission to re-evaluate, together with Parliament, this proposal, which can also serve in the field of medical devices, to relaunch an urgent and necessary project for the enjoyment of the right to health for all European citizens.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, just this morning, on my way to Strasbourg, I read the news of a man who killed his wife in southern Italy. I didn't even make it here in time that I was reached by another news, this time in Northern Italy, in Genoa, concerning a rape that took place over the weekend. Gender-based violence is one of the few crimes that continues to be increasingly common across Europe. Underlying it is a patriarchal culture that keeps half the population trapped. This brutality, in many cases, leads to death. In other, more subtle cases, such as psychological or financial violence, it deprives women and girls of fundamental freedoms. There is one way, perhaps the most important of all: It's called prevention, it's called education. To make sure that our children can live in a world free of violence. Sexual and affective education in schools is the key so that young people of all kinds learn to respect their own body and that of others, learn to accept the "no", to preserve a psychophysical well-being, to live a healthy, conscious, respectful sexuality. Then it's up to us, colleagues, to politics. The crime of rape must be clearly and unequivocally defined, with consent at the centre, which, I recall, can be revoked at any time and cannot be fully manifested if the person is not free to express himself or herself due to fear, intimidation, disability and other vulnerable circumstances. It is called freedom of self-determination and must apply to everyone, including women.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, gender apartheid: This is what is happening in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban took power three years ago, women have been engulfed in a spiral of violence and denial of rights and freedoms aimed at erasing their voice and figure from Afghan society. I ask this Parliament to reflect: What would you do if your daughter, your sister, your partner, or yourself were forbidden to exist? Imagine not being able to leave the house alone, not being able to speak in public, show your face, study or work. It would simply nullify your existence. The European Union cannot let these women be forgotten. Three years have passed and the situation is only getting worse. We are still indebted to the Afghan people who over the years have supported the international coalition and have been trapped in the country. For them, for activists and journalists, we must guarantee humanitarian visas. We need to rebuild a country destroyed by hunger, poverty, and to do so it is essential to involve women, who are not only victims, but can operate as agents of change. That is why we cannot accept that they are banned from participating in international dialogue and negotiation tables, as has unfortunately already happened. This form of apartheid against women and girls is not yet internationally recognised and this limits the tools to stop Taliban violence. The European Union must lead this battle. Gender apartheid has codified itself as a crime against humanity.