Srinagar, June 24 -- For much of the post-war era, Italy was not usually seen as a leading example of women's political representation. Instead, attention tended to focus on countries such as Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, where women achieved higher levels of political participation and where gender-equality indicators consistently ranked among the strongest in Europe. Today, however, Italy offers a compelling case study for understanding how debates about women's political leadership are changing across the continent.

This is not because Italy has achieved gender equality. Far from it. Eurostat data show that female employment rates in Italy remain below those of several northern European countries, while the European Institute ...