Here’s the transcript rewritten with each sentence separated by a line break for clarity:

Benito Mussolini didn’t just want to control Italy—he wanted to control its future.

To do that, he set his sights on the lives of Italian women.

To Mussolini, women weren’t individuals with their own ambitions—they were instruments of the state, molded to serve his vision of a stronger, larger Italy.

His government reached into nearly every aspect of their lives, dictating their roles, their bodies, and even their futures.

One of his most ambitious efforts was the “Battle for Births,” launched in 1927.

Mussolini believed that for Italy to rise as a dominant power, it needed a surge in population—more workers, more soldiers, more citizens loyal to his cause.

His goal was staggering: to grow Italy’s population from 40 million to 60 million by 1950.

But this wasn’t just a call for larger families.

It was a campaign enforced through policies that pressured, restricted, and, in many cases, outright forced women into motherhood, whether they wanted it or not.

To make sure his plan worked, Mussolini put strict rules in place.

The government actively promoted large families, and in 1933, it began offering financial incentives for women who had many children.

If a woman had six or more kids, she could receive money from the state, along with special privileges.

Large families were seen as “ideal citizens” and were rewarded with tax breaks, discounts on food, and even priority in getting government jobs or housing.

One of the most famous events tied to this policy was a massive ceremony Mussolini organized in 1933.

Thousands of women who had given birth to multiple children were invited to Rome, where they were celebrated and given medals.

These medals, called the “Honor of Motherhood,” were given out in bronze, silver, or gold, depending on how many children the woman had.

Mothers of ten or more children were treated as national heroes.

But while mothers with many children were praised, women who didn’t follow Mussolini’s plan were punished.

He saw such women as a threat to his vision.

To discourage women from avoiding marriage and childbirth, he introduced a special tax on single people.

Known as the “bachelor tax,” it was introduced in 1927 and applied mostly to men, but it also affected women who were unmarried by a certain age.

This tax forced many young people to marry earlier than they otherwise would have.

This tax was deeply unpopular, especially among working-class men who could not afford to marry young.

Many men had to delay marriage because they couldn’t support a family, but Mussolini’s government ignored these economic realities.

The policy only added more financial pressure on men while limiting their personal freedom.

To make sure his message reached every household, Mussolini used the media to spread his ideas.

Newspapers, radio programs, school textbooks, and even posters on the streets were filled with slogans encouraging women to have more babies.

The government published articles claiming that women who had large families were happier and more fulfilled, while those who didn’t have children were lonely and miserable.

Doctors were encouraged to tell women that having many children was good for their health, even though in reality, Italy’s high birth rate led to many pregnancy-related deaths.

Hospitals were poorly equipped, and medical care was focused more on keeping women alive during childbirth rather than improving their overall health.

Many women suffered complications, but there was little concern for their well-being.

Mussolini actively prevented women from controlling their own bodies.

Contraception was made illegal, and anyone caught selling or using birth control could be punished.

Abortion was also completely banned, and doctors who performed it risked arrest and serious consequences.

Women who sought out abortions often had to go through dangerous, illegal procedures that put their lives at risk.

To ensure that women were getting pregnant as often as possible, the government sometimes took extreme measures.

There were cases where doctors would examine young women to check if they were “fit” for childbirth.

Women who were found to be healthy were sometimes pressured into marrying quickly so they could start having children.

Mussolini didn’t believe women should have careers.

He believed that a woman’s place was in the home, raising children and serving her husband, and he made sure that government policies reinforced this idea.

One of the biggest steps Mussolini took to limit women’s work was the 1933 law that restricted women’s employment in government jobs.

This law stated that no more than 10% of public administration jobs could be given to women.

This was a direct attack on educated women who had trained to work in government offices, schools, and other public institutions.

But Mussolini didn’t stop there.

In 1938, he expanded this restriction to private businesses, making it even harder for women to find jobs.

Employers were encouraged to fire female employees and replace them with men.

Companies that followed this rule were often rewarded by the government.

Mussolini justified these policies by saying that men needed jobs more than women, especially as Italy’s economy struggled.

He argued that women should focus on being wives and mothers, not competing with men in the workforce.

These laws hit middle-class and educated women the hardest.

Many women who had trained as teachers, secretaries, or civil servants suddenly found themselves out of work.

While Mussolini wanted middle-class women to stay home, he couldn’t completely remove women from the workforce.

Italy still needed female labor, especially in factories and farms.

But even here, women were treated unfairly.

They were often paid less than men for doing the same jobs, and their working conditions were much worse.

In Italy’s textile and agricultural industries, women made up a large part of the workforce, but they had little job security.

Employers could fire them at any time, and they had no legal protections.

In many cases, women worked long hours in dangerous conditions, only to be paid a fraction of what their male coworkers earned.

The government also discouraged women from seeking higher-paying jobs.

Women who worked in industries that were seen as “masculine,” such as engineering or manufacturing, were often pressured to quit.

Job training programs focused only on men, and women had almost no opportunities to advance in their careers.

Mussolini didn’t just change laws, he also changed how young girls were educated.

The goal was to make sure that from an early age, girls understood that their main purpose in life was to become mothers and wives.

Schools were redesigned to reflect Mussolini’s ideology.

Instead of learning subjects like science, mathematics, or business, girls were taught how to be good homemakers.

Their lessons included cooking, sewing, childcare, and cleaning.

Textbooks were rewritten to reinforce these ideas.

History books glorified large, traditional families, and literature emphasized the role of women as caregivers.

Even in subjects like biology, lessons focused more on motherhood than on actual scientific knowledge.

Outside of school, magazines and newspapers played a big role in shaping how women saw themselves.

Women’s magazines were filled with articles about how to be a good wife, how to raise obedient children, and how to support their husbands.

Women who worked were often portrayed as selfish or unhappy, while housewives were shown as fulfilled and joyful.

The government even organized special programs to train young women for their future roles as wives and mothers.

In 1937, Mussolini’s government created the ONMI, an organization that ran programs for young girls and mothers.

These programs taught girls how to cook, clean, and care for babies, preparing them for a life dedicated to family.