"Politics is opening up to women but it is still the prerogative of men."
"The real obstacle is co-optation."
"The work on equality is not yet closed."
"We are few" and "there is a paternalistic culture even in the parliamentary chambers".
On the eve of March 8, six politicians from different sides have their say on the gender gap in politics.
Almost all of them, albeit with very different nuances and contents, underline the great steps forward made with a woman reaching the top of the government and another at the head of the first opposition party, but - they maintain - full equality in the parties and in the Palaces is yet to be conquered.
Elisabetta Lancellotta of FdI recalls that recently there have been "many" "first times for women in power", an example above all being "Giorgia Meloni, first prime minister. Achievements which - she points out - go together with a regulatory evolution on the subject of gender gap and equal opportunities. But despite all these notable steps forward, the equality work is not yet finished."
For the dem Cecilia D'Elia "women struggle in politics, especially in parties. It is a great victory to have a female secretary but the paternalist culture, which also exists in parliamentary chambers, still needs to be eradicated" and the recipe it's "teamwork. One person who breaks the glass ceiling is not enough."
"Gender equality is not achieved by talking about quotas or numbers, but by won battles - states the Northern League member Laura Ravetto -. Like the battle won by the teacher from Pordenone on the niqab".
Even in politics "there are battles that we have won. I am thinking of the first female prime minister. It is clear that we still have to fight for equality, but great steps forward have been made and, for this reason, we need to focus on meritocracy. Less co-optation will be there, the more women will necessarily arrive."
According to Alessandra Maiorino of the M5s "to date there is still no full gender equality in Parliament. The real obstacle is in the deep-rooted tendency of co-optation of men towards other men".
"Female protagonism in politics is now strong and significant - echoes Luana Zanella, of Avs - I think of Meloni, Schlein, Todde. But there is a tradition of male political homosexuality in institutions which is hard to undermine, in the end it is even easier for them to come to an agreement among themselves."
The Italian Catia Polidori highlights the "giant strides" made in the field of gender equality.
But, she adds, "often, women are put in positions such that they are not elected. It is a policy still the prerogative of men which is slowly opening up to women".
"No - Elena Bonetti (Action) replies clearly - we have not achieved full gender equality and the proof is that the number of women elected to Parliament, 30% of the total, is lower than in the last legislature. It is positive that they are leading figures such as Meloni and Schlein emerged, but we have never yet had a female Minister of the Economy".
"I would say absolutely not, given the numbers in Parliament - agrees Raffaella Paita of Italia viva -. Progress has been made, but the finish line is still very far away".
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