Leonilde Iotti was born in Reggio Emilia in 1920; her father Egidio was a railroader and a socialist trade unionist, fired by the railway company on account of his political commitment.

[3] After the end of the war and the referendum against the Savoy Monarchy, in 1946, Iotti was elected member of the Constituent Assembly, within the Italian Communist Party (PCI).

However, Togliatti forced his wife Rita and their son Aldo, who was mentally ill, to live in Moscow, so he could continue his relationship with Iotti.

Re-elected to the Chamber in 1963, she was appointed to the Constitutional Affairs Commission, focusing her activity on the relevance of the female role in the world of work and family relationships.

After the 1979 Italian general election, thanks to the support of PCI's historic rival, Christian Democracy (DC), Iotti became President of the Chamber of Deputies, with 443 votes out of 615.