Thursday, February 3, 2011

Italian Women say "enough already" to PM Berlusconi

Concerns about the roles of women in Italy have come to light in the wake of yet another sex scandal for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Feminists in the country have grown increasingly intolerant of popular images of women in the nation's media. Editor-in-chief of the Italian edition of Elle says, "It Italy, women are suffering because they see themselves caught between two images, that of the happy housewife or the 'velina' [showgirl]. Little else is represented on television."

Italy ranks low in comparison with their fellow EU members in areas concerning gender equality, and it currently ranks 74th out of 134 countries in the Gender Gap Index.

Alisa Del Re, a professor at the University of Padua says, "It Italy, you either work or have children, because so far legislation hasn't placed women in a condition where they can work."

Worse yet, Berlusconi has "blurred the line between show business and politics, choosing women from his television shows as candidates for the Italian and European Parliaments."

From what research I've done, the only reason Berlusconi is still in power is because his net worth, according to Forbes, is $9 billion. His administrations (he was in power in the 90s and has been in power the better part the the 2000s) have been fraught with scandal and controversy. This latest investigation is just another embarrassment for the nation. However, it may give Italian women a wonderful opportunity to make their voices plainly heard.

("Sex Scandals in Italy Fuels Discontent," New York Times)

-Anna

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