La rappresentanza parlamentare delle donne in Italia: un puzzle finalmente ricomposto

The Parliamentary Representation of Women in Italy. A Puzzle Finally Reassembled The italian general elections of 2022 marked the rise to government of the «center-right» coalition led by Giorgia Meloni, the first woman prime minister. A few months later, Elly Schlein became secretary of the main opposition party. However, this double female affirmation was accompanied by a decrease of women in Parliament. This makes Marta Regalia’s book, Una democrazia dimezzata. Autoselezione, selezione ed elezione delle donne in Italia, all the more valuable. In fact, her close analysis of female candidates and elected women in the Italian Parliament from 1948 to 2018 shows that the main obstacles to achieving equality are the parties and not the voters, even in areas considered more traditionalist like the South.