Lina Merlin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lina Merlin
Lina Merlin 1.jpg
Senator of the Italian Republic
In office
1948–1963
Personal details
Born
Angelina Merlin

(1887-10-15)15 October 1887
Pozzonovo, Kingdom of Italy
Died16 August 1979(1979-08-16) (aged 91)
Padua, Italy
NationalityItalian
Political partyItalian Socialist Party
Spouse(s)
Dante Gallani
​
​
(m. 1933; died 1936)​

Angelina "Lina" Merlin (15 October 1887 – 16 August 1979) was an Italian politician, perhaps best known for authoring and promoting the so-called "Merlin law" which abolished state-regulated prostitution in Italy. She was also an activist and educator and took part in the Italian resistance movement.[1][2]

The daughter of Giustina Poli, a teacher, and Fruttuoso Merlin, secretary for the municipality, she was born in Pozzonovo and grew up in Chioggia. In 1907, she received her diploma qualifying her to teach elementary school. In 1914, she received her qualification to teach French in middle school but preferred to continue to teach elementary school. In March 1926, because she refused to take an oath of loyalty to Italy's Fascist government, she was removed from her teaching position. In November of that year, she was sentenced to five years in prison; her sentence was reduced and she returned to Padua in November 1929. She moved to Milan in 1930; to support herself, she gave private lessons in French.[1]

In 1919, she joined the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). Merlin contributed to the socialist weekly Eco dei lavoratori and the periodical La Difesa delle lavoratrici. During World War II, she took part in the resistance against the fascists. She participated in the founding of the Gruppi di difesa della donna [it], women's defence groups. In 1944, she helped found the  [it] and served three terms as its president.[1]

In 1946, she was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Italy as a member of the PSI. She was instrumental in ensuring that the rights of women and children were protected in the new constitution. In 1948, she was elected to the Italian Senate of the Republic; she was reelected in 1953. Merlin retired from the socialist party in 1961 and did not run for reelection after her term of office ended in 1963.[1]

The bill to abolish the regulation of prostitution in Italy (Law No. 75/1958) was introduced in 1948 and, after a long and difficult process, was finally passed in early 1958 and came into effect in September of that year.[1][2]

She served on the Chioggia municipal council from 1951 to 1955.[1]

Merlin met  [it] in Milan; the couple married in 1933 but Gallani died three years later.[1]

Merlin died in Padua at the age of 91.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Merlin, Angelina". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (in Italian). 2009.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Lina Merlin". The Florentine. June 28, 2007.
Retrieved from ""