History of women in the Italian Resistance
The history of women in the Italian Resistance plays a key role for the partisan movement in the fight against fascism during World War II.
Everywhere in Italy, partisan women fought everyday to recover the basic necessities for the sustenance of their companions and transported resources as they were considered less dangerous.
They were fundamental to the partisan community: in addition to cooking, washing, sewing and assisting the wounded, women took part in meetings and gave their political and organizational contributions, moreover, if needed, they also knew how to try their hand at weapons.
Their communication tasks was particularly valuable: with cunning they often managed to pass through enemy checkpoints in order to reach their destination, so they could contact the military and give them information about new movements.
They were really clever at camouflaging weapons and ammunition: when they were noticed by the Germans with something incriminating, they often managed to avoid the search by declaring important tasks to carry out, just like sick family members to take care of or hungry children to look after.
Women worked mainly in the textile, food and industrial sectors, but they were also present to a large extent in the assembly line, in public employment and in the fields, where the most tiring activities, traditionally reserved for men.
They traveled kilometers by bicycle, on foot, sometimes by bus and by truck, sometimes packed in a train together with the cattle, to bring news, transport weapons and ammunition, in the rain and wind, between the bombing and machine guns, even if every time they faced the danger to fall into the hands of the Nazifascists.
Her companions had prevented her from possessing weapons, because they preferred that she take care of other duties; so in October 1943, on a crowded bus, Carla stole a gun from a GNR soldier who was at her side.
Using weapons, women invaded a predominantly male world at the time, but they did not do so to feel important: it was a matter of necessity in a situation where it was right to collaborate for a cause that involved the entire population.
Women fought in combat in the mountains and in the cold and in some cases they dedicated themselves to real military sabotage actions while putting their lives at risk.
She was responsible for women's defense groups and was entrusted with the role of Commissioner for assistance and relations with the mass organizations of the Republic of Ossola.
