“Your show scares me,” said singer Elodie. “There’s a big difference between female leadership and feminist leadership,” repeated singer Levante, paraphrasing center-left leader Elly Schlein. “It’s our time to act,” tweeted Chiara Ferragni, the country’s most famous influencer.
In recent weeks, famous women in Italy, especially in the music industry, have individually launched a “She, no” campaign against the possibility that Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, will become the first woman to occupy prime minister, breaking a 76-year-old male tradition.
According to last Thursday’s Ipsos poll (1st), the right-wing coalition formed by Meloni’s party, Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Força, Italia maintained first place, with 46.4% of voting intentions. , more than 15 percentage points ahead of the center-left plate. As the Brothers of Italy is the best placed, with 24%, in theory the place of head of government would be occupied by the legend, according to an agreement between the leaders.
In a country with the greatest disparity in the European Union between men and women in the labor market, with only half of them, between 20 and 64 years old, economically active, it was to be expected that the arrival of a woman to one of the highest positions in life public was celebrated by representation. But for some of them, Meloni’s possible conquest tastes more like defeat.
Not only because she is one of the greatest exponents of the European far-right, founder of a party that carries symbols directly linked to post-fascism. But also because her program is considered distant from the historical agenda of the feminist movement.
Released this week, the plan’s first topic is “support for birth and family”, defined as the “basic element of society”. Among the proposals, an increase in the monthly allowance for families with young children, a tax reduction on diapers and more places in free daycare centers.
“The agenda ends up supporting women in the role of mothers. From the point of view of gender equality and family models, it has nothing to do with the historical movement of women”, she tells Sheet Giorgia Serughetti, researcher of political theory and gender at the University of Milan-Bicocca.
For the analyst, by reproducing slogans such as “God, homeland and family” and defining herself as “woman, mother, Italian and Christian”, Meloni seeks to reinforce that the family model is one, heteronormative, excluding the recognition of rights to nuclei LGBTQIA+. At the same time, by emphasizing the patriotic character in measures such as the naval blockade against immigrants, it subtracts from the list foreigners and non-Christians.
One of the biggest concerns of feminist groups is related to access to abortion, decriminalized since 1978 and, in theory, accessible on the public network. On paper, Meloni defends the “full application” of the law that consents to the voluntary termination of pregnancy, but emphasizes prevention. According to experts, in practice, this means encouraging, including financially, organizations called “pro-life”, which act in an attempt to dissuade women from the decision to have an abortion.
The Marche region, governed by the Brothers of Italy, is among those where women face the most difficulties in accessing the termination of pregnancy, with obstacles to medical abortion and a high percentage of doctors who may refuse to perform the procedure for personal reasons. linked to religion, morals or ethics. It was from this theme that Chiara Ferragni expressed herself on the networks: “It is a policy that can become national” if the right wins.
“The initiatives that, in practice, can result in the hollowing out of the abortion law are the most worrying point in the political culture of the party. Even more so given the notable setback that the issue faces worldwide”, says Serughetti.
In her autobiographical book and in pre-campaign statements, Meloni sought to downplay the female point of view of her achievements, such as being one of the few women to lead a party in the country. In recent weeks, she has started to place more emphasis on the symbolism of being able to become Italy’s first female prime minister, while emphasizing the bias of motherhood. “I’m not going to give up anything that has anything to do with my six-year-old daughter. Women always find a way.”
The intention, according to analysts, is to improve its performance among this share of the electorate, a segment in which the Brothers of Italy fare worse than their opponents. While women are the majority (51.8%) of the total number of voters, they are a minority (46%) among party supporters. “She started to play this card of being a woman, but she doesn’t ask for a vote of gender, but in favor of a family model that perhaps pleases men more than women”, evaluates Serughetti.
Representation of women in Italy
- 51.3% of the population
- 51.8% of voters
- 35.7% of deputies
- 34.4% of the senators
Sources: World Bank and Interparliamentary Union
