Fasci Femminili (FF) ("Female Groups") was the women's section of the Italian Fascist Party (PNF). The FF was founded in 1919 and disbanded in 1945. It incorporated all the other Fascist organizations for women and girls, which were all formally sections of the FF.
Its purpose was to instruct women in their role according to fascist ideology. [1] The FF met some hostility from male members of the party. When it was formally created in 1920, having then informally existed since 1919, it was almost unique, since other Italian political parties did not include women in their partiers. It was reorganized to become a voluntary mass organization in 1929. [2] In practice, the majority of their work was charitable and social work, which was used to instruct women in the ideology of the party and to give the party good publicity.
During the 1920s, the women active within the Fascist Party were mostly educated, middle-class women. Girls were included by the creation of youth groups for girls, separated by age class, such as the Piccole Italiane (for girls age 8–12) and the Giovani Italiane (13–18). In 1925, the section Opera Nazionale Maternità ed Infanzia (ONMI) was created to support married mothers and children, which was essentially a charity organization managed by the FF-women. The Massaie Rurali (MR) was founded in 1933 and the Sezione Operaie e Lavoranti a Domicilio (Section for Female Laborers and Home-workers or SOLD) in 1937, both intended to include rural and urban working-class women respectively within the PNF. The FF had 750.000 members in 1939. All these groups were formally sections of the FF. [3]
Initially, Fascism had an ambivalent view on women's position, and Mussolini promised the leader of the Fascist women, Elisa Majer Rizzioli, to introduce women's suffrage. [4] However, he only introduced municipal suffrage and then abolished free elections altogether, making also the municipal suffrage meaningless. [4] After an unsuccessful attempt of the Fascist women to become autonomous in 1924, they were efficiently deprived of all real political influence within the party: after 1930, the Fascist women organizations did not even have a leader, the leadership post of the Fasci Femminili being first left vacant, and from 1937 divided between several people. [4] The role of women in Fascist ideology was foremost to demonstrate her patriotism and supporting her country by giving birth to children which she would raise to become soldiers or mothers who in turn would support expansionism. While girls were not banned from studying, the cost for women students were raised to discourage it; and while women were not banned from working, certain restrictions were introduced to prevent women from being placed in authority over men in the professional life, such as banning women from certain leadarship positions in the educational system which could have given them authority over male colleagues.
The Presidents of the Fasci Femminili were Elisa Majer Rizzioli (until 1926) and then Angiola Moretti in 1926-1930. The position was vacant in 1930-1937, followed by a shared leadership by women called Ispettrice Nazionale (national inspectress). In 1937, there were two national inspectresses: Clara Franceschini and Giuditta "Itta" Stelluti Scala Frascara; they were followed by four in 1938: Wanda Bruschi Gorjux, Laura Marani Argnani, Teresita Menzinger Ruata and Olga Medici del Vascello, and in 1940 by: Anna Maria Giusti Dalla Rosa, Angiola Moretti, Ignazia Cavalli d'Olivola, and Sofia Bertaina Chiesa di Cervignasco. [4]
Fascio is an Italian word literally meaning "a bundle" or "a sheaf", and figuratively "league", and which was used in the late 19th century to refer to political groups of many different orientations. A number of nationalist fasci later evolved into the 20th century Fasci movement, which became known as fascism.
Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB) was an Italian Fascist youth organization functioning between 1926 and 1937, when it was absorbed into the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio (GIL), a youth section of the National Fascist Party.
The Fasci Italiani di Combattimento was an Italian fascist organisation created by Benito Mussolini in 1919. It was the successor of the Fasci d'Azione Rivoluzionaria, being notably further right than its predecessor. The Fasci Italiani di Combattimento was reorganised into the National Fascist Party in 1921.
Squadrismo was the movement of squadre d'azione, the fascist militias that were organised outside the authority of the Italian state and led by local leaders called ras. The militia originally consisted of farmers and middle-class people, who created their own defence from revolutionary socialists. Squadrismo became an important asset for the rise of the National Fascist Party, led by Benito Mussolini, and systematically used violence to eliminate any political parties that were opposed to Italian Fascism.
Women in Italy refers to women who are from Italy. The legal and social status of Italian women has undergone rapid transformations and changes during the past decades. This includes family laws, the enactment of anti-discrimination measures, and reforms to the penal code.
This is a list of words, terms, concepts, and slogans in the Italian language and Latin language which were specifically used in Fascist Italian monarchy and Italian Social Republic.
Feminism in Italy originated during the Italian Renaissance period, beginning in the late 13th century. Italian writers such as Moderata Fonte, Lucrezia Marinella, and others developed the theoretical ideas behind gender equality. In contrast to feminist movements in France and United Kingdom, early women's rights advocates in Italy emphasized women's education and improvement in social conditions.
Events from the year 1921 in Italy.
Fascist Italy is a term which is used to describe the Kingdom of Italy when it was governed by the National Fascist Party from 1922 to 1943 with Benito Mussolini as prime minister and dictator. The Italian Fascists imposed totalitarian rule and they also crushed political opposition, while they simultaneously promoted economic modernization, traditional social values and a rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church.
Massaie Rurali was an Italian organisation for peasant women within the Italian Fascist Party (PNF). MR was founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1945. It was the largest women's organisation in Fascist Italy and one of the largest organisations, with more than three million members in 1943.
Sezione Operaie e Lavoranti a Domicilio (SOLD) ('Section for Female Laborers and Home-workers') was an Italian organisation for urban working-class women within the Italian Fascist Party (PNF). SOLD was founded in 1937 and disbanded in 1945.
Luigi Razza (1892–1935) was an Italian journalist and fascist politician who died in an aviation accident in Cairo while serving as the minister of public works. A member of the National Fascist Party, he held several significant posts during the Fascist rule in Italy.
Angiola Moretti, was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
Elisa Majer Rizzioli (1880-1930), was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
Laura Marani Argnani (1865-1955), was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
Giuditta "Itta" Stelluti Scala Frascara was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
Clara Franceschini, was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
Baroness Teresita Menzinger Ruata, was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
Wanda Bruschi Gorjux (1889–1976), was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
Olga Medici del Vascello (1882-1966), was an Italian politician of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
