Le donne e il psdi nelle carte di Angelica Balabanoff. Tra progettualità, impegno e complessità (1947-1962)

The archival sources of the International Institute for Social History in Amsterdam, and in particular the papers of the famous Russian socialist AngelicaBalabanoff, allow scholars to have access to a consistent variety of information relating to the construction, by the Italian Social Democratic Party, of a own women's movement, in the years between 1947 and 1962. This work, which significantly coincided with the extension of the right to active and passive electorate to women, was essentially entrusted to a personality of great prestige in the political panorama of the time, not only Italian:Angelica Balabanoff precisely. The latter, for her part,made a huge effort to plead among women the cause of involvement and commitment in the political struggle, evenin the face of a bit modest results. The documents presented here, beyond the information they offer on the reality of the social democratic women's movement and on the activity of Angelica Balabanoff within the PSDI, further enrich the picture of the Italian female reality in the 1950s and 1960s, including deep regional differences, delays compared to other European states, but also interesting and innovative figures and awareness, which deserve to be better known.