Women
Taken from Women under Italian Fascism by Alexander de Grand.
- Women played an important role in the Battle for Births and Land. The former was key to Italy’s future according to the Fascists. Mussolini – ‘Work, where it is not a direct impediment, distracts from conception’. The Fascists awarded gold medals to ‘producers’ of many children as an example of their belief in the importance of higher birth rates. As an incentive to men too, fathers with many children were more likely to get employment.
- Women who practised birth control were threatened with various consequences and education for it was also banned by the Rocco Code of 1927.
- As society became more conservative, the role of women became more traditional. Consequently, they were not politically active and this could be seen as a success for the Fascist regime. Some middle-class women became advocates of suffrage before the war and were optimistic afterwards. Unfortunately for them, they did not achieve women’s suffrage until 1945, although in 1925 Mussolini did allow them to vote in local elections.
- However, as some women took part in the resistance during the Second World War, it is hard to judge how successful the Fascist government was in this.
- One of the reasons to drive the policy of women and conservatism is that they would stay at home and reduce unemployment. In 1881, over 40% of women were employed. This declined to 26.5% in 1921 and 18.5% in 1931, the Fascists were successful but it could be argued the change was cultural too. Many emigrated to the US (making up 60% of Italian immigrants) and veterans from the war had more influence when demanding jobs after the war.
- Before the Fascists came to power in 1922, their constitution was influenced by the Futurists. Consequently, one of the rules was to allow women full voting rights and permitted to hold high office. However, after they took power the issue of women’s rights was forgotten.
- As the regime became a dictatorship as a result of the Acerbo Law of 1924, a writer commented that both sexes were now equal – they were both disenfranchised.
- Under Mussolini, female teachers were discouraged and they were prevented from joining the civil service. However, women continued to dominate the schools for younger children and the medical profession. Some were also able to join higher status positions such as lawyers, architects, and engineers, although numbers were not high. As the country embarked on war in the 1930s, ironically more women passed out from teacher training colleges than men.
- There was an attempt to merge feminism and fascism by Elsa Goss, the director of La Chiosa of Genoa in 1926. However, political magazines aiming to forward women’s rights were discouraged and La Chiosa became a fashion publication instead. One criticism against women and politics is that it was a factor in the declining birth rate.
- The Lateran States deal of 1929 further limited the role of women. The Catholic Church sought to preserve the family institution and consequently, their partnership with Mussolini’s government strengthened this view in Italy.
- The official position of women’s publications was that the Fascists did more for women than any previous liberal regime.