if the heel 12 becomes a political case

by Letizia Cini

“What do you want her to know? One with legs one meter long can’t even have a brain ”. Young reporter, the comment of the colleague (committed and left-wing) hit the mark of her. So much so that after 35 years she still hurts. The high concentration of stereotypes is the best fuel to set the mud machine in motion. Today like yesterday. Proof of this is the controversy surrounding the alleged case of sexism in the electoral campaign that lights up the Florentine province.

The candidates and sympathizers of the various camps in the running for the administrative of Rignano of 12 June took the defense of the candidate for mayor Dominga Guerri (Together for Rignano), which would have been the object of sexist offenses. In part, because there are also those who have expressed themselves in favor of Michele Matrone, candidate for mayor for the single list of the center-right. He is credited with the offensive words against the contender, the current deputy mayor, and the other women who are part of the outgoing administration, starting from the councilors up to the president of the municipal council. It all started with a public meeting organized by the Center for Rignano in San Donato.

Among those present there are those who swear they have heard Matrone pronounced more or less these words: “Who wears a 12 heel on a construction site, what do you want us to understand”Referring to the clothing of the contender (and current outgoing deputy mayor) Dominga Guerri during an inspection. But there are also those who swear the opposite: those words would never have gone out of Matron’s mouth. The electoral campaign heats up, and the tones go down, indeed … they sink into the quagmire of sexist chatter. Can a woman in heels be able to hold the position of mayor? The debate is open.

The fact

Michele Matrone he defends himself and counterattacks: “I challenge anyone present at that meeting in San Donato to come and testify that I said them. Are there any witnesses who can prove the accusations of sexism that have been thrown at me? ”. And Forza Italia sides with the single candidate of the center-right (the list brings together FI, Lega and FdI): the provincial and municipal coordinators Giovannini and Piccardi declare themselves “ready to undertake any initiative necessary to safeguard the integrity and dignity of the same “. If there are those who support Matrone swearing not to have heard him say these words and to know his correctness, many are sending their solidarity to Dominga Guerri and to the other women of the current administration, that is the commissioner Sonia Tinuti and the president of the municipal council Anna Mangani, against whom heavy words were said during the same electoral meeting.

The reply of the contender Matrone

While Matrone reiterates that “I only criticized the administrative work and therefore anyone who is part of this junta, whether they are women or men without attacks on people”, Sonia Tinuti recalls that “violence can begin with a joke”. Label with the “sadness that shows those who believe that independence and leadership skills are to be considered only male characteristics”, while Anna Mangani comments with the lyrics of a song by Fiorella Mannoia entitled ‘Courage’: “Make a difference within this journey because also a single step makes the difference and one after the other becomes resistance “.

Dominga’s answer

For her part, Dominga Guerri entrusts her comment to a post on Facebook: “It has always been difficult for a woman to have and conquer a public credibility. So many social achievements have come to eliminate these cultural obstacles for the full right to be oneself regardless of gender “. “I am sorry that even today there are those who believe that in politics being a woman (and appearing as such) is a defect”, she concludes, continuing her march. With or without heel 12.