Italy

Italian politicians have reacted with anger after the country's first black minister had bananas thrown at her during a political rally.

Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge, who has suffered racial abuse in the past, dismissed the act as "a waste of food".

We invite you to read the full article published July 27 2013

The treatment of politicians Laura Boldrini and Cecile Kyenge highlights the persistent problem of the abuse of women in Italy's public sphere. This cannot be dismissed as just a debate about censorship. Italy’s gender question is a wound left unhealed.

Enrico Letta continues the political revolution that began under Mario Monti by naming seven women in his 22-member cabinet. Arguably the most important woman in the closing months of Silvio Berlusconi's 2008-11 government was Karima el-Mahroug, otherwise known as "Ruby the Heartstealer", the Moroccan teenage runaway whose friendship with the septuagenarian former prime minister contributed to his departure from office. Berlusconi also appointed women to his cabinet.

When Laura Boldrini, 52, was elected as speaker of Italy’s lower house last month, she knew the job would come with enormous challenges. But she didn’t expect it to come with death threats. Last week, the former United Nations high commisioner for refugees Italian spokesperson sat in front of Italy’s lower house of Parliament and read some of the hundreds of squalid emails she has received since taking office. Many threatened rape, sodomy, torture, and murder. All the warnings were sexual in nature. “You need to be lynched, bitch,” one hater wrote.

When Italian president Giorgio Napolitano appointed 10 expert consultants to lead Italy out of its political gridlock late last month, it would appear he could not find one qualified woman to

Despite boasting a higher rate of education, Italian womenhave long lagged their male counterparts in politics. Just over 17 percent of seats in the lower house of parliament and 14 percent in the upper house are held by women.
To read the full article, please visit the El Economista's Website.