Post World War II Generations and the Vanishing of the Dowry in Italy

Italy is one of the most powerful industrialised countries included in the G-8 ranks, but until the World War II it was predominantly a rural country with almost 50% of active population employed in agriculture . Until then the economic level was generally low and, as it is usual in poor countries, the socio-political condition of women was indigent. Women obtained the political power only in 1948, two years after the creation of the Italian republic. A decisive progression toward a modern society was State’s compulsory education until age14 for all boys and girls, in 1962, related to the prohibition to work before this age. Economic improvement after the sixties permitted teenagers to prolong their school period beyond the compulsory years.