THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ITALY AND GERMANY IN THE
1930’S
WOMEN IN FASCIST ITALY
Women's rights suffered a setback
under the Fascist government of
Benito Mussolini, with fascist
ideology dictating procreation as a
woman's duty. A series of laws tried
to force Italian women back to their
roles of wives and mothers. Any
political activity by women was
harshly repressed: in 1930 antifascist
activist Camilla Ravera was
sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The racial laws of 1938 inflicted
another blow to women's
empowerment in Italy, since a large
percentage of the few Italian women
to have academic positions were of
Jewish descent, such as Anna Foà or
Enrica Calabresi.
The only woman to whom some
political prominence was given during
the early Fascist period was
Margherita Sarfatti; she was Benito
Mussolini's biographer in 1925, as
well as one of his mistresses.
Eventually, many women, mostly in
their twenties, took part in the Italian
resistance movement at the end of
the second world war, when Italy was
under German occupation. Their
mass participation marked the
definitive entrance of women in
Italian political life after WWII.
THE ROLE OF GERMAN WOMEN
DURING THE NAZISM
The nazis believed in a traditional role
for women. In a speech, Hitler said that
a German woman’s world was “her
husband, her family, her children and
her home”. Actually, the Nazis
encouraged women to have as many
children as possible. Women with at
least four children received a medal,
and there were also cash payments for
having children. A "German Mothers'
Day" was also created; during that of
1939, three million mothers were
decorated. Women were discouraged
from working, and in 1934 all married
female doctors and civil servants were
sacked.
The wearing of makeup was generally
prohibited, and a certain modesty was
demanded of women, contrasting with
the Weimar Republic period, which
experienced more freedom on a moral
level. Women who smoked in public (in
hotels, cafés, in the street and so on)
were excluded from NSBO (the
women's section of the German
Workers' Front). Activities considered
more or less traditional were limited to
recommended places: music, manual
labour or gymnastics.
Sexuality was banned, unless for a
reproductive goal. Concerning abortion,
the ministers of the Interior and Justice
enacted the law "Protection of Marriage,
Family and Motherhood", which made
provisions for the death penalty for
mothers convicted of infanticide.
 . Women of the Italian resistance

Nazi propaganda photo

QUESTIONS

1) Write two prohibitions that women suffered in Italy and Germany in the interwar period.

2) What happened to Enrica Calabresi and why?

3) What happened to female politicians and teachers in both countries?

4) How could German women be punished if they aborted?

5) What was the main role of women in those countries during the 30’s?

6) Why was Camilla Ravera 15 years in prison?

7) What did the women with at least four children receive in Nazi Germany?

8) What happened to women’s situation since 1945?

9) Write a brief definition of these concepts:

- Law - Repression - Biographer - Procreation

10) Translate these words into Spanish:

- Motherhood - Civil servant - Makeup - Setback