Tradurre per sensibilizzare: la violenza di genere in "Se causa dor, não é amor" di Miriam Medina

Gender-based violence is a widespread yet insufficiently discussed phenomenon, deeply rooted in our society. Its persistence is reinforced by the difficulty that those who experience it have in openly talking about their abuse, seeking help or reporting it, often hindered by shame, fear and social stigma. Many activists and authors have repeatedly emphasized the importance of recognition through language as a means of making violence visible, starting from the premise that naming and narrating violent experiences is a necessary step toward addressing them collectively. Language and translation therefore emerge as crucial tools: when used critically and consciously, language can expose hidden forms of abuse and create spaces of recognition and resistance. The research is inspired by the work of the Cape Verdean sociologist and writer Miriam Medina, whose book Se causa dor, não é amor addresses abusive relationships and promotes awareness through testimonies and sociological analysis. Hence, the aim of this study is to provide an Italian translation of selected excerpts from her work, in order to spread these messages to a wider audience. The structure of the dissertation includes a first chapter outlying the historical and social dimensions of gender-based violence, with particular attention to the Italian and Cape Verdean contexts and to prevention initiatives. The second examines the power of discourse and the non-neutral nature of language in shaping ideologies and power structures. The third chapter, in addition to providing biographical notes on the author and her work, presents an analysis of the source text and its syntactic, lexical and stylistic features. The fourth chapter presents the proposed translation, which is then commented on in the fifth and final chapter, which offers a critical commentary on the methodology, challenges and strategies employed throughout the translation process.