From Labor Representation to the Right to Vote: Women in Trade Unions 1906–2026
Two days of study promoted by the Municipality of Milan and the Archivio del Lavoro
November 18–19, 2026
Palazzo Reale, Conference Room
Piazza Duomo 14, Milan
The year 2026 marks two anniversaries that invite reflection on the relationship between democracy, citizenship, and labor: 120 years since the birth of the General Confederation of Labor (CGdL) and 80 years since Italian women first voted in a political election. These two historical turning points intersect to show how female emancipation was achieved not only through legislative victories, but also through a long daily practice of participation, organization, and negotiation within and through the trade union movement.
The conference aims to investigate and bring this journey to light. From the birth of trade union organizations to contemporary battles, the history of women workers in unions is a long path made of women’s leagues, social demands, collective bargaining, political training, and the construction of collective spaces where women were able to exercise—often before they could in the civil and institutional spheres—roles of representation, responsibility, and leadership.
Delegating, voting, representing: these are all democratic acts that women experienced in trade unions well before 1946, contributing to the growth of a democratic political culture and highlighting the profound link between the ability to organize in the workplace and the achievement of citizenship rights.
Case studies, testimonies, research, and audiovisual materials tell the story of women’s union life over the last few decades. A video dedicated to Milanese trade union feminism also serves as the starting point for a broader reflection on the role of women in the transformation of work and organizations.
By celebrating these anniversaries, the conference aims to be not only a moment of study, but an invitation to consider the trade union as a training ground for democracy—a place where entire generations of women have been able to exercise rights, build solidarity, and imagine social justice.