The degree of freedom Italian women enjoy is comparable to that in
Britain or the USA, despite the somewhat outdated reputation of Italian
men as predatory lotharios.* In previous editions of this guide we have
mentioned whistling, hissing and catcalling being part of the Roman
experience for some women. Actually this kind of behaviour is quite rare:
you are just as likely to find an intrinsic courtesy in day-to-day
communications where men will take a great deal of care to show respect.
It's all too easy to overreact to unwelcome overtures; don't take a
little light-hearted flirting or an appreciative ciao bella! too
seriously.
One thing that is dangerous is being drawn into making generalizations -
the two female authors of this guide for example have had very different
experiences researching the book - but Italy is an easy country to
travel around for a woman, whether alone or with female friends.
Certainly there is none of the alcohol-fuelled agressive abuse from men
that you might find in English cities; occasionally you might find
yourself walking into a café and finding that you have invaded an all-male
preserve, or be on the receiving end of a stupid comment from a group of
adolescent boys. However, if you're on holiday without a male partner at
any of the resorts popular with northern European tourists the
assumption will be made that you are looking for a quick fling - fine if
you are, but irritating if you're not.
Basically, as long as you recognize that you are in a different culture,
and as long as you only do what you feel comfortable doing, you don't
need to be unduly concerned. It is advisable to try and modify your
dress and behaviour to conform more closely with that of local women.
Not only should this reduce the level of hassle you get, but it will
also mean you're less likely to offend people's sensibilities.
Incidentally, greater respect seems to be accorded to older women - so,
for once, age can work in your favour.
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*The problems with Italian men stemmed from problems caused by the
traditional adoration of the male-child that lingers on into adult life.
After all, it is said that Jesus Christ himself had some of the
attributes of the typical Italian male: he thought he was the son of God,
lived at home till he was thirty, and thought his mother was a virgin.
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Contacts for women travellers
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 negative connotations in Italy. This social stigma has
resulted in a low level of structured activity such as women's groups
and helpline organizations; despite this, women have secured great
advances 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
activity since the Seventies, has affected the women's movement as it
has others. The Centro Documentazione Donne (Via Galliera 8, Bologna;
tel 051.233.863), the Unione delle Donne Italiane (Via della Lungara 19,
Trastevere, Rome; tel 06.687.2130), and the Centro Studi Storiche sul
Movimento di Liberazione delle Donne (Corso di Porta Nuova 32, Milan;
tel 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 Invisibile at www.citinv.it
. Italy's first woman-focussed Internet portal is www.supereva.it - it
is laid out very much like a women's magazine, though has a "politica e
societa" section with some interesting contacts.
Sexual harassment
If you do experience persistent pestering it isn't usually accompanied
by any kind of violent intent, but it can be annoying and frustrating
nevertheless. Silent indifference is often the most effective policy, as
is looking as confident as possible - if you feel threatened it's always
a good idea to look as though you know where you are going, even if you
don't. Any attempt to hurl Italian insults in the direction of the
transgressor is, at best, likely to cause ridicule - and at worst, could
well inflame the situation further.
One thing that's worth mentioning is that the Italian sex industry is a
thriving business, and a woman on her own wandering around a town may in
some places be taken to be a prostitute looking for business. Even such
an innocent occupation as waiting alone at a bus stop can bring
unwelcome attention - this obviously doesn't mean every street or bus
stop but there are certain places (one particular road in Rimini, for
example) where car doors will mysteriously spring open as you pass by;
you can pretty quickly work out what's going on and the obvious thing to
do is walk somewhere else.
Flashers in parks are another common occurrence, and, as parks are often
a pick-up place, your motives for sitting quietly in the sun may be
misconstrued. This doesn't mean it's impossible to go there, just that
it's more relaxing if you pick a spot where there are other people
around.
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