Giancarla Codrignani was born in Bologna into what she herself describes as a “lucky family”. Her upbringing was strict yet very loving, which provided her with a deep sense of confidence—a quality that would support her throughout all the major decisions in her life. Her father, Duilio, was a committed anti-fascist inspired by secularism and socialism, and a member of the Giustizia e Libertà movement.1 His political convictions came at a personal cost: his work life was difficult and precarious. Nevertheless, it was from him that Giancarla inherited her deep and lasting passion for civic engagement.

Her mother, Egle, a reluctant homemaker, held a deeply personal form of faith—almost a precursor to the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. She raised her daughter as a Catholic but also as an independent and authentic person. With her keen sense of irony, Egle would often respond to her teenage daughter’s bold remarks commenting to her husband: “Maybe we’ve gone too far!”

The values passed down by her parents would remain a guiding thread throughout her long and richly engaged life of action and commitment.

The family’s financial difficulties were never seen as a limitation. As her mother liked to say, “We’re poor, but we live as if we were rich”, with plenty of books always within reach.

Codrignani attended the liceo classico, where she quickly demonstrated a deep passion for learning, particularly for classics. She earned a degree with honors in Classical Literature from the University of Bologna. She began her teaching career unusually early, receiving her first appointment at her former high school—an uncommon opportunity for someone at the very start of their career. During this period, she also published Catullo’s Codex 2744 with the university press, signing the work as Ioanna Carola Codrignani.

After a twelve-year pause for her work in Parliament, she returned to the classroom with renewed passion and dedication. She educated generations of students and became a point of reference for them, not only in the subjects she taught but also in a broader education to civic engagement. This made her a beloved teacher, even during the challenging years of student movements from 1968 onward. At the same time, she began to participare in politics, initially as an independent candidate on the Christian Democracy list for the local elections in Bologna. Still as an independent, she later joined the 2 Torri group (Communist and Socialist parties).2 In this role, she was elected to the Italian Parliament in 1976, where she served for three consecutive terms until 1987. Throughout her parliamentary work, she focused on some of the most pressing issues on the women’s rights agenda: the legalization of abortion, the ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), violence against women, and the conditions of women in the Global South. As a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees, she dedicated herself to issues of peace, war, and disarmament, taking part in numerous international missions—particularly in conflict zones and politically sensitive areas. She was a witness to Nicaragua’s first free elections, visited Chile under Pinochet’s state of siege, and met with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, as well as engaging with various communities across Africa and Asia. Her efforts were recognised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and she served as President of the League of Conscientious Objectors. Codrignani is widely regarded as one of the most representative voices in the Italian culture of nonviolence.

Throughout her life—and still today, when she is active on many fronts, especially in the defense of human rights and the Constitution—Codrignani has consistently combined civic passion with a deep personal faith, making the most of the values inherited from both her parents. Key figures in her spiritual journey included Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro and Pax Christi,3 led by Monsignor Luigi Bettazzi. On the civic front, it was Lelio Basso and his work with the Russell Tribunal that sparked her vocation for global political issues.

In Bologna, Giancarla became a key figure for women active in the feminist and women’s rights movements. From the very beginning, she was involved with the Orlando Association4 and played a central role in the Women's Documentation Center5, focusing especially on international exchanges. From 1994 to 1999, she served as Gender Advisor to Mayor Walter Vitali, launching several initiatives aimed at promoting women’s policies within the city administration.

Her life has also been rich in friendships, deep emotional bonds, and a few loves that never evolved into marriage or cohabitation—making her a single woman with no regrets.

A selection of her many articles published in various magazines and newspapers can be found in the volume Ottanta, gli anni di una politica (Eighty: Years of a Politician6), published in 2010 by Servitium.

In 2011, the city of Bologna honored her with the Nettuno d’oro, a prestigious award given to distinguished citizens, as a gesture of gratitude. She also contributed to the Enciclopedia delle Donne, writing the biographies of Bertha von Suttner and Adriana Zarri.

Translated by Rebecca Cigognini.
1 Giustizia e Libertà (Justice and Liberty) was an Italian anti-fascist resistance movement, active from 1929 to 1945.
2 The 2 Torri group was a local coalition that brought together independent members of the Italian Communist Party and the Italian Socialist Party. It aimed at promoting progressive policies at the municipal level. It does not have an official translation into English.
3 Pax Christi is an international Catholic peace movement, established in France in March 1945.
4 The Orlando Association, also known as Associazione Orlando, is a feminist association established in Bologna, Italy, dedicated to promoting gender difference culture and female public presence.
5 The Women’s Documentation Center in Bologna is a specialised archive and library also known as the Biblioteca Italiana delle Donne (Italian Women’s Library), dedicated to preserving and making accessible materials related to women’s history, gender studies, and feminism.
6 Translation by Rebecca Cigognini.