The latest sex-related scandal from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is hardly surprising. In a decision handed down yesterday, Berlusconi will stand trial in April for allegedly paying an underage belly dancer for sex, then abusing his power to help release her from jail on theft charges.
Though hardly actions expected of a leader of a modern, industrialized nation like Italy, this marks only the most recent in a long line of scandals from the prime minister and comes as old news for Italian citizens.
Berlusconi has denied any technical wrongdoing, yet he has conceded some curious details. He did in fact pay the girl the euro equivalent of $9,450 for attending a party of his, though he has insisted he did not pay for sex. He also did request her release from police custody, claiming he believed her to be the niece of then-president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak.
Getting to the bottom of the scandal is certainly important, yet the incident reflects the larger and far more important problem of Italy's persistent mistreatment and humiliation of its women.
Women in Italy are too often seen as objects for sex who possess little equality with men. According to the most recent Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum, Italy ranks 74th worldwide for its treatment of women. This ranking places Italy behind the likes of Colombia, Peru and Vietnam, an appalling feat for an advanced industrial democracy and a member of the European Union.
Despite his alleged (and confirmed) impropriety, Berlusconi stated that he has no intention of resigning anytime soon. This announcement comes in the wake of widespread protests and calls for him to step down, both from political opponents and women's rights activists. Hundreds of thousands more protested on Sunday in cities across Italy and throughout Europe, demanding greater gender equality and his resignation.
This most recent scandal follows the prime minister's familiar pattern, in which he uses his political power and wealth to propagate Italy's degradation of women. Berlusconi owns or controls a majority of the television media outlets in Italy and thus determines how women are viewed by a vast majority of the country.
Outside of his media empire, Berlusconi uses his political power to further objectify women. He often appoints busty and physically attractive women to government positions, irrespective of their merit. Unsurprisingly, Berlusconi's minister of equality was a contestant in Miss Italy 1997, in which she placed sixth.
The prime minister's actions are reflective of a national culture of sexism. Italy ranks very low globally in a slew of categories, according to the World Economic Forum's report. The country takes the 121st spot in wage parity, 97th in opportunities for women in leadership positions and 87th in labor participation. A November Newsweek article additionally reported that only 45 percent of Italian women work outside the home, as compared with 80 percent in Norway and 72 percent in the United Kingdom.
These startling statistics add up to one conclusion: Berlusconi's tradition of degrading women is poison to Italian culture. In 2009, over 100,000 women signed a "Berlusconi Offends Us" petition in response to a sexist remark he made to a female politician, yet the move clearly fell on deaf ears. How many more scandals will it take?
It is time for Italy to catch up to its fellow European nations and modernize its attitude toward women.
