Revealed: Gangs abandoned trafficked Nigerian women without access to food or funds amid coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of Nigerian women forced into prostitution were left to starve by sex traffickers during the Covid pandemic in Italy, the Guardian can reveal. According to testimonies from volunteers, social workers and NGOs, during the prolonged and strict three-month Covid lockdown introduced by the Italian government, trafficking gangs abandoned women and their children, who were unable to leave their homes or work and were left without food or money to pay the rent. Given their illegal status, they had no recourse to financial assistance or unemployment benefits. The association helps abused and vulnerable women escape their traffickers in Asti, in the north-western region of Piedmont. And when the ATM runs out of cash, they discard it and look for another one.

Important: This archived action campaign has been completed or discontinued, and the information contained in it may not be current. Please see take action for current and ongoing campaigns. Right now, Italian lawmakers are discussing law proposals that would make things worse for people in prostitution, violate their human rights, and undermine efforts to reduce sex trafficking and exploitation. And, by normalizing the objectification of women and girls, it also contributes to a culture where violence against them is tolerated.

While sexuality has radically changed across middle—high-income societies in recent years, only outdated studies are available for Italy. We aim to provide novel insights into the sexual behaviour and opinions of young Italians diachronically and through a gendered lens. Our analysis compares the results of two national samples of university students collected in and The sexual behaviour and opinions of young men and women seem to be converging in several respects.