Teresa Bellanova, Minister of Agriculture, during the press conference on the presentation of the new Relaunch Decree, was moved when speaking about the rule on the regularisation of migrants in this time of emergency. An emotion of satisfaction after what have been, by her own admission, long and emotionally difficult days.
It is interesting, however, to reflect on the headlines, comments and memes circulating on the web today, in which the minister's weeping is compared to that of the then Minister of Welfare, Elsa Fornero, or to that of Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primaries.
When it comes to women, we never get into political discourse. The news that makes the headlines is that there are women, who hold positions of power and cry “crocodile tears”, who are emotionally unstable, who deserve to be compared not for content but for crying. Deprived of their subjectivities, they become superimposable and interchangeable, because they share the same fault: not being similar enough to a man.
Women who attain a position of power must do so by imitating the archetype of the’man of power, both in appearance, which must be austere and conceal any trait of sensuality, on pain of losing any authority, and in attitude: the woman in power must be virile, have balls, while the man who is moved “is a sissy” (note that the male attribute is always ameliorative while the female attribute is always pejorative).
If this image of virile woman is scratched by a tear shed by a woman, then she is immediately depowered, accused of being too weak for her role or of being manipulative.
Reflection should therefore be made on the meaning of crying, on what is considered belittling and laughable in a society based on machismo, especially when holding positions of power or public office. The reference models are always male, with standards of performativity and virility so rigid that they bridle men themselves, who in 2020 still have to be told that “real men don't cry” and are taught to suppress tears from childhood.
We would like to read articles that go into the merits of legislation, the speeches of our political representatives, and not be forced to talk about crying, be it tears of joy, of difficulty, of embarrassment, in a debasing manner. We would like to spend more time discussing political issues, criticising them even, and not read about a minister's attire or her haircut.
The fact is unfortunately always the same. The attainment of public office or access to positions of power by women is not automatically synonymous with gender equality. It will not be as long as the representation of women is subjected to the usual patriarchal criteria and it is more important to judge them for everything less than their abilities.
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