Chronology of key moments in the history of women's rights in Italy

Following Goldin's methodological framework from her paper "Why Women Won" on the history of women's labour market outcomes in the US, we have compiled an analogous, detailed chronology of key moments in the history of women's rights in Italy. Our dataset classifies events into four main types: economic/social factors, political milestones, workplace regulations, and bodily autonomy issues. These classifications are inspired by Goldin's typology and provide a structured lens through which to view women's history. We use and analyse this dataset in our corresponding research article entitled "Studying the gender gap à la Claudia Goldin: a historical perspective on women's work in Italy".

Sources: Unless otherwise stated, sources are general: Camera dei Deputati (2021) on women’s suffrage, Anne Cova (2022) and the websites of Noi Donne, Il Consiglio Nazionale delle Donne Italiane, Unione Femminile Nazionale, Istituto Luigi Sturzo on women’s movements.

Note: As Italy was a founding member of the EU, some events relate to relevant EU directives with an impact on Italy, for which we could not find implementing legislation, but which were referred to by Italian lawyers.