Bella Ciao and Women: A War for the Meaning of Motherhood in Italy

Cibele De Biasi and Felipe Almeida

Journal of Economic Issues, 2025, vol. 59, issue 1, 17-28

Abstract: This study presents an institutional analysis of women’s participation in the Italian Resistenza during World War II, with an emphasis on the role played by motherhood. On the one hand, the official policy of Benito Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship relied on the notion of motherhood to oppress women, constructing their image as mothers of soldiers and breeders, providing more people for military recruitment, and expanding the power of the State. On the other hand, the Italian Resistance movement relied on motherhood to strengthen the bonds among women in the struggle for freedom and restructure the harsh reality imposed by the fascist regime. Hence, for both groups, the meaning of motherhood transcended beyond the biological functions of maternity—pregnancy, giving birth, and breastfeeding—and was understood as an institution that stands for specific means of caring reflected in social provisioning.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00213624.2025.2455658

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