The Consiglio Nazionale delle Donne Italiane (CNDI) or National Council of Italian Women is an Italian federation of women's associations, including those admitting both men and women, bent on improving conditions for women. Founded in 1903 as the Italian branch of the

International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's rights organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington, D.C., with ...

, it originally brought together organizations from federations representing

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

and

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

and was chaired by

Gabriella Rasponi Spalletti Gabriella Rasponi Spalletti (1853–1931) was an Italian feminist, educator and philanthropist. Keen to improve conditions for women, in 1897 she founded an embroidery school in Quarrata, Tuscany. From 1903, as president of the National Council of ...

until her death in 1931. From the beginning, the council has been open to all women, irrespective of their political or religious views. Still active today, it is involved in helping with the establishment of women's cooperatives, educating illiterate women, assisting migrants and developing the role of women in the professions. It also combats prostitution and the trafficking of women. In 1908, the CNDI organized the ''Congresso Nazionale delle Donne Italiane'' (National Congress of Italian Women) which was attended by over 30 women's organizations from throughout Italy. It was inaugurated on 23 April by

Queen Margherita Margherita of Savoy (''Margherita Maria Teresa Giovanna''; 20 November 1851 – 4 January 1926) was Queen of Italy by marriage to Umberto I. Life Early life Margherita was born to Prince Ferdinand of Savoy, Duke of Genoa and Princess Elisabeth ...

with an audience which included over 1,400 women. Topics covered women's working conditions, education, health and political rights. A plenary session organized by the ''Comitato Nazionale Pro-Suffragio femminile'' (National Committee for Women's Suffrage) was centred on how parliament could be persuaded to accept voting rights for women. The CNDI was dissolved during the fascist period but was revived in 1944. Over the years, it has organized many meetings on topics of interest to women, including the introduction of divorce and the reform of family law. More recently, the agenda has included professional training and employment, and how to increase women's involvement in the public sphere. Early members of the organization included writers, teachers and suffragists such as Lavinia Taverna, Maria Pasolini Ponti,

Sofia Bisi Albini Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

, Giacinta Martini Marescotti,

Maria Grassi Koenen Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

, Virginia Nathan, Angelica Devito Tommasi, Maria Montessori and Alice Schiavoni Bosio.

References

{{Reflist Organizations established in 1903 1903 establishments in Italy Women's rights organizations Women's organisations based in Italy Women's suffrage in Italy