La Verità's menopause metaphor sparks accusations of misogyny in Italy

Italian newspaper La Verità published an editorial titled “Siamo un paese condannato alla menopausa” (We are a country condemned to menopause). The piece, written by journalist Marcello Veneziani, used menopause as a metaphor for Italy’s demographic and cultural decline, linking the nation’s perceived loss of vitality to women’s loss of fertility.

Critics, including writer Lea Melandri, denounced the article as misogynistic, ageist and medically uninformed. They argued that it pathologises women’s bodies, reduces their value to reproductive capacity, and ignores women’s autonomy and sexuality beyond childbearing. The controversy has sparked broader debate about gender bias in Italian media commentary.