In most places in Italy, women are basically as liberated as they are in the UK or US - even if few will admit to being feminist, a label that carries largely negatie connotations in Italy. This social stigma has resulted in a low leel of structured actiity such as women's groups and helpline organizations; despite this, women have secured great adances in the fields of equality at work and good maternity rights. Another statistic that may confound your preconceptions is that Italy's birth rate is one of the lowest in Europe.

Periodicals such as Noi Donne are good sources of information on culture, news and politics relating to women. Rome, Bologna and Milan are the places with most action, although this is fairly limited: il riflusso, the general term to describe the fall-off in political actiity since the Seventies, has affected the women's movement as it has others. The Centro Documentazione Donne (ia Galliera 8, Bologna; phone 051.233.863), the Unione delle Donne Italiane (ia della Lungara 19, Trastevere, Rome; phone  06.687.2130), and the Centro Studi Storiche sul Moimento di Liberazione delle Donne (Corso di Porta Nuoa 32, Milan; phone  02.2900.5987), are organizations with an academic or institutional slant on women's issues.

For contacts and Internet discussion groups try the Spazio Donna (womens' space) in La Città Inisibile at www.citin.it . Italy's first woman-focussed Internet portal is www.superea.it - it is laid out ery much like a women's magazine, though has a "politica e societa" section with some interesting contacts.

Italy guide

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