First female PM sparks debate after using the masculine form of her title

Italy’s first female Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sparked debate on female empowerment, after opting to use the masculine form of her title.

In the first official communications from the government, Meloni is cited as “il Presidente” instead of “la Presidente,” sparking debate on the new Prime Minister’s position regarding women’s rights.

While Meloni is considered a trailblazer for women in Italian politics, the far-right leader is known to believe that women should rise to the top “on their own merits,” opposing female quotas in boardrooms and parliament, and appointing just six women to her cabinet after assuming office.

Meloni’s choice was criticized by Italy’s Usigrai trade union, as well as lawmaker Laura Boldrini, who wondered on Twitter if using the feminine form is “too much” for the leader of the Brothers of Italy party, “a party that already forgets the Sisters in its name,” Boldrini said.

According to the Accademia Della Crusca, a guardian of the Italian language, using the feminine for positions held by women is the grammatically correct choice.

However, Crusca president Claudio Marazzini told Italian news agency Adnkronos that anyone who prefers to use the traditional masculine form, for ideological or generational reasons, has every right to do so.