Representation achieved: the figures for women in Lombardy politics

The results of this regulatory process are encouraging: according to the PoliS-Lombardia report based on 2023 data, in Lombardy’s municipalities with more than 3,000 inhabitants, the proportion of women on local councils reaches at least 40 per cent across all demographic groups considered. A knock-on effect is also evident in smaller towns: in municipalities with up to 3,000 inhabitants, women account for 30.1 per cent of executive committee members and 32.2 per cent of municipal councillors.

Whilst the number of women elected at local level is on the rise, there is still much progress to be made when it comes to top-level positions. The Lombardy Region, however, is led by a tenacious woman who is committed to rights: Fiorella Ghilardotti. Born in Castelverde, in the province of Cremona, on 25 June 1946 – the year women were first granted the right to vote – she was a trade unionist with the CISL and later a leading figure in the PDS. She held the office of President of the Lombardy Region from 12 December 1992 to 3 June 1994, leading a centre-left regional government during the fifth legislative term, and was the first – and to date the only – woman to hold this office.

Her term of office, at the height of the Tangentopoli scandal, took place during a period of profound political and institutional crisis, and Ghilardotti paid particular attention to social, health and gender policies, as well as education. Following her time in regional politics, she was elected to the European Parliament for two terms, in 1994 and 1999. Today, she is commemorated by a room in Palazzo Pirelli, an association and scholarships for deserving young women.

If, on the other hand, we look at the figures for the regional assembly, female representation – although still far from parity – stands above the Italian average. According to Senate data updated in February 2024, there were 23 female councillors out of 80 in Lombardy, representing 29 per cent, compared with a national average of 25 per cent. Lombardy also ranks above the Italian average in terms of regional executive committees: there were 5 women out of 16 councillors, or 31 per cent, compared with the national figure of 28 per cent. A comparison with other regions reveals varying results: Emilia-Romagna had 42 per cent women in its Regional Council, whilst Lazio had 39 per cent. The target set by the National Strategy for Gender Equality is to achieve an average female representation of 40 per cent in regional councils.

It is at local council level that the effects of the legislation are most evident. In September 2023, there were 8,413 women out of 23,476 local councillors in Lombardy, representing 35.8 per cent. Among councillors, they accounted for 35.5 per cent, compared with the Italian average of 34 per cent, and among executive committee members, 45.5 per cent, approaching parity. In municipalities with between 5,000 and 15,000 inhabitants, women accounted for over 40 per cent of both councillors and executive committee members, reaching 42.1 per cent in both cases and approaching the gender parity threshold. In small municipalities with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants, where the requirements are less stringent, the proportion of women increased between 2019 and 2023: from 31.2 per cent to 32.2 per cent on municipal councils and from 28.2 per cent to 30.1 per cent on executive committees. Among local government officials under the age of 43, women account for 39.2 per cent, with a share of 48 per cent among councillors: a sign that generational renewal is already underway.

There has also been a change in the leadership of local councils. According to ANCI-IFEL data for September 2025, female mayors in Lombardy accounted for 18.3 per cent, compared with the Italian average of 15.4 per cent. In 2016, the regional proportion stood at 17.2 per cent. The Metropolitan City of Milan leads the way with 24.1 per cent, followed by Pavia (23 per cent), Brescia (20.6 per cent) and Lecco (20.2 per cent). Female mayors are also on average better educated than their male counterparts: over half hold at least one degree (51.8 per cent, compared with 41.5 per cent of male mayors). In the local elections of May 2026, Carolina Nizzola in Bollate, Manuela Occhipinti in Baranzate and Valentina Bergo in Rovato, amongst others, were elected as mayors.

The next goal is to carry this momentum into the larger towns: in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, 13.3 per cent of mayors are women, whilst in the province of Cremona this figure drops to 11.5 per cent.