contents
It’s often said that men are like that. This attitude is only changing very slowly, and especially among younger people.
Why is? In Italy, the debate about sexism and abuse flared up again after the two actress organizations Amleta and Difference Donna drew attention to the subject again in front of the media. In the last two years, you have received more than 200 reports from colleagues who have been victims of sexual violence, harassment and assault. However, no names of harassers were mentioned, according to the two organizations, the women concerned fear disadvantages in professional life.
The Me Too debate in Italy had no direct consequences for men.
How do you react to that? The media response to the media conference in Italy was quite modest. However, the journalist Virginia Kirst in Rome attributes this primarily to the fact that the media focused on the arrest of the highest Cosa Nostra mafia boss and the death of Gina Lollobrigida on that very day. “Although the allegations of abuse are an issue in Italy, they are not the dominant issue at the moment,” says Kirst.
Legend:
The actress Asia Argento demonstrates together with her US actress Rose McGoven (right) on women’s strike day 2018 against sexism and for women’s rights.
Keystone/Massimo Percossi
Finally a Me-Too debate in Italy? Contrary to what is presented in some German-language media, the Me-Too debate was also an issue in Italy in 2017. Because with Asia Argento, an Italian actress was also sexually harassed by film producer Harvey Weinstein, who has since been convicted in the first instance. Numerous actresses who had experienced something similar in Italy made themselves known to the public. However: “The Me-Too debate in Italy had no direct consequences for the men,” says Kirst. Nobody lost their job, nobody was convicted.
The women and the allegations of abuse are not taken seriously enough in Italy.
Where is the problem? “The women and the allegations of abuse are not taken seriously enough in Italy,” the journalist notes. In Bel-Paese, machismo, sexism and misogyny are considered normal, it was also said at the media conference of the actresses’ associations. The argument goes along the lines of: That’s how men are, there’s nothing you can do about it. “I also notice that in my daily work: Young women here in Italy have a different status in society than I know from other countries,” says Kirst.
Legend:
Virginia Kirst.
Virginia Kirst.
The negative experiences of sexist harassment that young women in Italy have are diverse, says the freelance journalist Virginia Kirst in Rome: “At media conferences, Italian colleagues commented on the length of my legs. Or: A very important and high-ranking government employee initially went into lengths about my appearance during an interview. The naturalness with which he made his comments left me pretty speechless. Younger colleagues tell downright scary stories about how older Italians hit on them. I don’t know that from other countries.”
What is special in Italy? “The traditional image of women in Italy goes in the direction: either mother (=saint) – or whore.” According to Kirst, this attitude becomes clear again and again at certain moments. A rethinking is taking place only slowly and only among the younger Italians. “Italy is lagging behind other countries here,” notes the journalist. After all, the topic is being taken up more and more often. “But it will be a long time before everyone knows that things cannot go on as before.”