Prospect of far-right female premier divides Italian women

If Italy elects the nation’s first female premier, will its women be delighted or dismayed?

Should opinion polls prove on the mark, Giorgia Meloni and the far-right Brothers of Italy party she co-founded less than a decade ago will triumph in the Sept. 25 election. Meloni might then be asked by Italy’s president to try to form a viable coalition government with right-wing allies.

For many female voters, it’s a question of gender versus agenda.

Some worry that Meloni, who exalts motherhood, might seek to erode women’s rights, including abortion access.

For her supporters, what matters is her conservative, “God, homeland and family” platform, not her sex.

Brothers of Italy has roots in a neo-fascist movement that hailed the legacy of Benito Mussolini, who bestowed prizes on women who had many children. The party took around 4% of votes in the last election, in 2018, but according to some pollsters it could win nearly 25% in this one.