Will Italy’s first female prime minister be bad for women?
Women could lose a lot if the right-winger Giorgia Meloni becomes PM, yet some feminists like her plans.
Giorgia Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy party have faced criticism for their pro-life stance and dedication to the 'traditional' family.
ROME — Giorgia Meloni, a 45-year-old, unmarried mother from Rome, is poised to make history. If opinion polls prove right, she is set to be appointed Italy’s first female prime minister after elections later this month. But what Meloni’s victory would mean for the rights of women, and the campaign for equality in Italian politics, is less clear. In recent weeks, a series of female celebrities have lined up against Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy party. They have attacked her family planning policies, her dedication to the “traditional” family, and her disregard for minority rights as evidence that she will not help female representation or increase women’s rights.