L’altra metà della DC. Le donne della Democrazia Cristiana nella costruzione della Repubblica italiana

The following paper retraces the role of the women belonging to the Christian Democracy party in shaping the Italian Republic, from the Resistance to the Constituent Assembly and the first legislatures. From analysing the political biographies of the nine DC members elected in 1946, the key issues of Catholic female emancipation are explored: the relationship between spirituality, citizenship, and participation, the tension between tradition and modernity, and the fragile balance between family mission and public engagement defining women’s political identity in post-war Italy.