ABSTRACT
The aim of the present paper is to highlight the unsatisfactory state of affairs obtaining in present-day Italy in relation to the use of gender-inclusive language in legislative texts. After recalling some of the main issues brought to the fore by Alma Sabatini et al.’s Report of 1987, which showed conclusively, through an analysis of the print media, that women were marginalized both in terms of gender usage and image, the paper focuses on the language of the four main Codes and of other, shorter legislative texts, showing how the masculine gender is invariably privileged, with the feminine being sidelined and/or ignored. Subliminally, this type of style relegates women to second-class citizens status.
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In some cases, I have translated from the original Italian without reproducing the original text. I alone am responsible for any errors or misinterpretations.
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Bressan, D. THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ITALIAN LEGISLATION. Int J Semiot Law 19, 25–38 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-005-9009-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-005-9009-2