Alle origini dell’otto marzo. Dimensione politica e rituale della giornata internazionale delle donne in Italia (1910-1946)

In 1910, Clara Zetkin proposed a resolution to mark one day of the year as International Women’s Day. In Italy, the proposal was met with cold reactions, mainly because of the scepticism of the Socialist Party over the cause of women’s suffrage. Tracing the key moments in the creation of International Women’s Day and its reception and institution in Italy, the essay examines the reactions to and celebrations of 8 March across the peninsula in relation to the debate on women’s emancipation and the right to vote. By means of an analysis of the discussions surrounding the celebrations of the day and its rituals, it explores the origin of the Italian celebration of ‘Otto marzo’, highlighting how both real events and imaginary myths contributed to the creation of a shared memory.