Fifty years ago today—on May 19, 1975—Italy found itself in the midst of sweeping cultural and social change. The country was navigating a turbulent decade marked by growing demands for equality, especially from women and youth challenging the norms of a deeply traditional society.

Just a year after the resounding victory in the divorce referendum, the Italian state took another historic leap forward by enacting Law 151, the reform of family law, a move that—at least on paper—sought to bring an end to patriarchal dominance.