L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS those collected by journalist A n n a G a r o f a l o , w h o worked tirelessly to give a voice to women "imprisoned within an authoritarian patri- archal and marital mentality widespread throughout the country," describe meetings where sample ballots were d i s t r i b u t e d . W o m e n w e r e t a u g h t h o w t o h a n d l e t h e paper without wrinkling it and how to fold it correctly, both to avoid embarrassment a n d t o g u a r a n t e e s e c r e c y behind the voting booth. Paola Cortellesi's black- and-white film There's Still Tomorrow (2023), which she directed, co-wrote, and starred in, and which became an international cinematic phenomenon, captures that moment perfectly, with all the solemnity and emotion sur- rounding that vote. It was an act of profound emancipation, lived with a touch of lipstick and a carefully chosen Sunday d r e s s p u l l e d f r o m t h e wardrobe, with the pride of h o l d i n g h i s t o r y i n o n e ' s hands. Many women walked to polling stations with determi- nation, as if reclaiming some- thing long denied to them. Others left home secretly, like the film's protagonist, defying the unspoken rules of a closed society. Others still stood in l i n e t o g e t h e r : m o t h e r s , daughters, and grandmothers united by the same sense of responsibility and awareness of participating in a historic event. And in fact, that historic suffrage was not only about the referendum. For the first time, women could also stand for election, and 21 of them w e r e e l e c t e d t o t h e C o n - s t i t u e n t A s s e m b l y . T h e y fought to include fundamen- tal principles in the Constitu- tion, among them equality for all citizens regardless of sex under Article 3, laying the groundwork for future social achievements such as family law reform and the legaliza- tion of divorce. "I voted on June 2, 1946. There were so many women there." At 103 years old, Lisa Gervasoni still remembers that day vividly. She was 24 at t h e t i m e a n d h a d a l r e a d y been married for five years. Her story was reported by L'Eco di Bergamo. "I was always interested in politics. Back then there were political debates held in the streets, and I always followed them." S t i l l w e a r i n g t h e s a m e string of pearls she wore to the polling station, she says s h e c a n n o t u n d e r s t a n d t o d a y 's a b s t e n t i o n i s m . " I have always voted. I never miss an election." She knew that right had been anything but guaranteed. "Back then people truly lived politics. Not like today." In Sarnico, her hometown, 2 , 0 8 2 v o t e r s w e n t t o t h e polls, representing 94.21 per- cent of eligible citizens. Of those votes, 1,177 went to the R e p u b l i c a n d 7 9 9 t o t h e monarchy. The Italian Republic was born thanks in part to that achievement. Women's suf- frage made the country more m o d e r n , f r e e r , a n d m o r e democratic. Remembering the Republic's 80th anniver- sary means remembering the courage and determination of those women who won the right to vote, who first ran for local office, who were elected f i r s t t o t h e C o n s t i t u e n t Assembly and later to Parlia- ment. I t i s a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o reflect on the importance of participation in a country's civic and political life and on how essential it is to defend rights, freedom, and equality every single day. Because even if glass ceilings still exist today, the road toward crack- i n g t h e m o p e n h a s b e e n extraordinarily long and diffi- cult. "The woman's kingdom is t h e h o m e , h e r m i s s i o n i s motherhood; women are not suited to the exercise of jus- tice, they are too emotional, too passionate, too partial…" wrote Anna Garofalo as she described the battles women fought to gain access to the judiciary, public office, and elected positions on equal terms. Celebrating these 80 years also means, more simply, remembering where we came from. When Italians went to vote, millions were unem- ployed, struggling to make ends meet, many were emi- grating, and the entire coun- try was still trying to shake off the dust of the physical and psychological ruins left by the Second World War. Only a year earlier, a devastating conflict had ended, after two decades overshadowed by F a s c i s m a n d a d i s a s t r o u s colonial policy. T h e r e w a s a c o u n t r y t o r e b u i l d , a n d t h e U n i t e d States, which had emerged f r o m t h e w a r a s a m a j o r industrial power, played a crucial role through the Mar- s h a l l P l a n , i n v e s t i n g t h e equivalent of 1.5 billion dol- lars at the time into Italy's economic and infrastructural recovery. But above all, these 80 years remind us where we are going. "Peace," Anna Garofalo wrote, "is a long construction that requires constant vigi- lance. It is made of everyone's effort and commitment; it is a daily conquest without hymns or fanfare. It is not enough to remain within the circle of one's own lamp, enclosed in the selfishness of personal a n d f a m i l y i n t e r e s t s , a n d believe one has fulfilled one's duty. The war is over, but we must not forget the lesson of this moment. We must count the dead, the wounded, the r u i n s , t h e t r a g e d i e s , a n d ensure that such sacrifice is never repeated." I think of my grandfathers standing in line to vote, proud and aware of the responsi- bility of helping shape the future of the country they had fought for. I think of my grandmothers who, were among the first women finally allowed to vote CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Anna Iberti, the young woman who became the symbol of the Referendum that marked both the birth of the Italian Republic and the first time Italian women could vote (By Federico Patellani/Wikicommons. Public Domain)

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