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Why did Italian women remove their lipstick the first time they voted?
2025-09-01 13:45:14 / MISTERE&KURIOZITETE
In 1946, Italian women participated in elections for the first time, a historic moment for democracy and gender equality in Italy. After decades of exclusion from politics and decision-making, they finally gained the right to express their voice through the vote. But one particular and symbolic detail of that moment remained in history: many women decided to remove their lipstick before entering the polling stations.
The reason was simple, but loaded with meaning. At that time, the ballot paper was stamped with an official mark that had to be clean and indisputable. There was a fear that a trace of lipstick could be interpreted as a secret sign or symbol, rendering the vote invalid. To avoid risking having their vote declared null and void, women wiped their lips before casting their vote.
This action was not merely technical, but also took on a deeper meaning: a gesture of respect for the democratic process and proof that women were determined to be a serious and equal part of political life. In a society where gender bias still prevailed, removing lipstick became a symbolic act that showed that they were not there for appearance, but to exercise their political right.
Women's participation in politics has come a long way since then, but the 1946 moment remains a powerful reminder of how important it was for them to have a voice. Removing lipstick, a small, everyday detail, became part of a larger story about equality and democracy.
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