Casa Internazionale delle Donne

The Internationa House of Women is an interesting example of gendered public space.
Is hosted in a large and beautiful 17th century building in Trastevere (formerly a place of secluson for female sinners) which includes meeting soaces, conference rooms, library and historical archives, bookshop, an handicraft shop, cafés and a restaurant, a hostel, an inner court with a beautiful garden and ten of associations that offers services from phycologic help to legal assistance, health and culture.
It is a typical product of the "separatist" (which does not mean "segregationist") trend in the feminist movement that advocates the necessity for women to have public spaces of their own.
Based on the principle of gender difference (rather than equality intended as "sameness") it has no trace of gender segregation: access to men is free, not only in occasion of events but at any time, yet the space is attended by women. It also is a space which can influence public opinion and public policies and where authoritative political speech is produced.
It is thus a fine example of how gender equality may be pursued through positive actions in urban planning and of how a "separatist" approach may be used to empower woman and thus produce more equal relationship in public space issue and in life.
The International House of Women was realised - or some may say conquered - through years of political action by women's movements, starting in the Seventies when several women's associations squatted an old historical building in the centre of Rome.
The new site was obtained following a tight negotiation with the roman municipality.
A woman-friendly local government as well as a high degree of prestige and consent gained by women's movement have both contributed to the creation of a succesful - and self-financed - public and political space of women. This kind of space considers itself and is recognised as an asset for the whole city, thanks to its cultural prestige as well as to the quality of the services it offers.

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