Intervista a Cecilia Robustelli

This interview provides a panorama of the institutional intiatives on the issue of gender and language in Italy since the creation of the Comitato nazionale di parità in 1983 and the publication of Alma Sabatini’s seminal study Il sessismo nella lingua italiana in 1987 to date. Robustelli argues that because of its ample scope including linguistic, cognitive, and cultural aspects, Sabatini’s work has not only raised the interest of feminist groups, but also gained scholarly and institutional attention. She claims that in the Italian context it has been necessary to highlight discriminatory language practices against women and promote non-stereotypical and non-sexist language uses. She also maintains that more time is necessary to translate a non-heteronormative framework into linguistic practices, although some progress has been made. She eventually gives information on current projects, studies, directives, and laws focusing on gender and language.