One Hundred Sixty Years of Gender Inequality in Italy. A Research Agenda

The goal of this paper is to take stock of
where we stand in the reconstruction of the
long-run dynamics of gender inequality in Italy,
focusing on the post-unification period (from
1861 to the present, namely the last 160 years).
This is accomplished in two ways: first, by
proposing a list of indicators that can be thought
of as the essential building blocks for such a
reconstruction, and that can be assembled based
on historical data. The emphasis is placed on
quantification and comparability (both over
time and across countries, or within areas of
the country). Second, the paper assesses the
available evidence within the economic history
literature, and argues that the effort of building
a quantitative economic history of Italian women
is just at the beginning.