Fighting Fascists and Sexists

A powerful espionage agent from the WW 2 era, Lidia Menapace, who fought Fascists in Italy died in December 2020 at the age of 96 from Covid-19.

She was a resistance soldier couriering bombs and helping Jews escape the anti-Semitic grasp. Post-war she began her battle for women’s rights when sexist Italian leaders didn’t invite women to walk in the liberation parade. They wished to erase women’s espionage contributions taking the credit and the limelight.

Not willing for her role to remain invisible, she went anyways, saying, “If there hadn’t been women, there wouldn’t have been a resistance.” Becoming an Italian Senator she worked tirelessly for women’s rights and denounced the efforts to coverup women’s roles and their contributions from historical memory.