The 1946 Referendum and the 21 Women of the Constituent Assembly
The date of June 2, 1946, that of the Italian referendum on a republic or monarchy, is also significant because it was the first time women were able to exercise their right to vote. "In the Constituent Assembly there were 21 women belonging to almost all political alignments," says Graziella Romeo, Professor of Constitutional Law at Bocconi, "who did not just deal with issues that were traditionally inherent to the female sphere, such as the family, but also with other fundamental aspects such as work and, in particular, the recognition of working women. Because", continues Graziella Romeo, "it was necessary to acknowledge not only the political but also the productive contribution of women. A fundamental figure in this period", the professor continues, "was Maria Maddalena Rossi, who took particular care of women who had suffered violence during the war".