In 1946, Italy was emerging from World War II and foreign occupation was over. However, the country had yet to become a republic. Women had obtained the right to vote for the first time on June 6 of the same year at the referendum deciding between the Kingdom and a new Italian Republic. During the war, many women had been important figures in the resistance movement, fighting against fascism and the foreign occupation and, slowly but surely, steps were being made towards gender equality in Italy. The Unione Donne in Italia (or the Italian Women’s Union) designated March 8 as festa della donna, a day to remember the social, political and economic achievements made by women over the years, as well as highlighting the discrimination and violence against women, which is still prevalent throughout the world.
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