Giorgia Meloni : Power, perception and the politics of gender

 “I refuse to be defined by what others see. I am not what I am expected to be , I am what I choose to be.”

When Italy ushered in its first female Prime Minister back in October 2022, history appeared to shift. But as with many such moments, the deeper story is rather less about the glass breaking and more about the reflections on the surface. In the figure of Giorgia Meloni, we see not only a woman who is at the country’s highest office, but we also see how gender and power still collide with the persistent gaze of perception - habits, gestures, looks, and roles that remain under scrutiny in ways her male predecessors rarely experience. 

Meloni’s appointment as the prime minister of Italy marks a historic first for her country , a woman at the helm leading the government . In a political culture like Italy’s long dominated by men of the country this achievement alone invites much reflection and also invites essential questions through the reflection, say the unavoidable question of what does it mean when a woman holds power in a world which is still structured around male norms ? 

We will observe that from the moment she was sworn in as the Prime minister of Italy , she has been subjected to dual lenses. The first one being the glass ceiling narrative where she herself from time to time has spoken about acknowledging how she had to break through it in an atmosphere which was dominated by ideas and opinions of elite men . On the other hand, her every move and action is watched closely not just as political leadership but rather leadership enacted by a woman so things like images, habits,gestures, wardrobe choices , mother-status and even her looks become part of the narrative it becomes leading headlines .

Male leaders may joke, evoke compliments or off hand remarks seldom which is noticed. Seldom does it make headlines.  For example we will notice how the press coverage underscores how at international summits from Sharm El-Sheikh to Tirana, she is observed more for her stance next to the world leaders, her smoking habit or ritualized birthday gestures abroad, than for the substance of her agenda.  These sorts of narratives today reflect how gender still mediates power , the position we will see is equal on paper but unequal in scrutiny.

The politics beneath

Meloni leads an Italian party called the “Brother of Italy” which has roots in Italy’s post fascist politics. Meloni’s rise cannot be simply read as a triumph of feminist progress or liberal gender-inclusion because she has often openly embraced identities of “woman, mother, Italian, Christian,” positioning herself in a traditionalist cultural frame rather than the progressive feminist one. When a right wing newspaper dubbed her as the ‘Man of the year’the irony and gender dynamics that existed were stark because on the one hand it acknowledged her political success but at the same time revealed how language is power remains deeply masculine.

The Gender Paradox

And so we reach a paradox rather that is her position challenges one gender norm which is that a woman cannot lead the country while at the same time reinforcing others norms like how power is male and a woman in power should speak in male normative terms interesting because the world does not look at her as the occupant of the office rather the woman occupant.

The gendered vocabulary 

Consider the ways when various male leaders can be celebrated for ‘muscular diplomacy’, bold gestures and casual handshake politics and when a woman does the exact same things the vocabulary changes . Her habit of smoking becomes a headline at an international summit , her choice of outfit becomes commentary , her expressions at a bilateral meeting become fodder . In delegations abroad, when the male counterparts compliment, joke, or scrutinise, the press plays close attention: ‘She laughed when asked if she was nervous’; ‘She brushed aside the question and smoothed her hair’; ‘She looked striking in her blazer’.

These matter because they reflect an unseen standard , if a man had been in her place, would we have fixated on the blazer or the laugh? very Less likely rather right. Gender aware commentary highlights that women in power are often subjected to different performance standards: how you look ,how you dress and how you gesture. This is not just unfair, It is politically consequential, it shapes perceptions of legitimacy, authority, and seriousness. When Meloni says, “you can’t take that away from me,” she is reclaiming identity but the public lens still frames her identity.

Beyond the gender lens

Beyond optics lies the real policies, the policies of Meloni . She confronts Italy’s economic challenges (soaring energy costs, recession risks) and leads a government which is considered the country’s most right-wing government  since World War II. Her trajectory from a youth minister to national conservative leader demonstrates political acumen and ambition. Yet the gender dimension affects how this is perceived. When a male leader with a controversial agenda rises, the reaction is often framed as political but when a woman does it, the reaction can carry a double layer of  politics and gender. 

Some advocates for women’s advancement therefore argue that yes, celebration is due but we should not mistake representation for radical transformation rather. The question remains still will her premiership reshape the terrain for women across Italian politics, or will it simply constitute a singular exceptional case?

Why it matters

“First female prime minister” is rather a powerful milestone. But we must ask ourselves that first  in what sense? First to hold the office regardless of gender? Or first with a transformative agenda for gender equality? If the latter, the perception challenge still remains. If the world continues to note more how she looks than what she does, then the gendered entitlement of power remains unchanged. In fact, the politics of gender in leadership demand more than just presence, just tokenism, they demand equal treatment. As long as leaders are judged differently on account of gender, the barrier remains partly erect, even if cracked. For young women aspiring to leadership, seeing Meloni in power sends an important message , the seat is available. But if the narrative remains predominantly about her femininity, her motherhood, her gestures rather than her governance, then the road ahead remains uneven for days to come.

The politics of gender, perception and beyond

Giorgia Meloni’s premiership is undoubtedly historic. But the title “Power, Perception and the Politics of Gender” reminds us that power is more than just occupying a seat at the table , it is rather being seen and treated as if you belong wholly there, without extra qualifiers. For Meloni, being the first woman to lead Italy came with the burden of multiple firsts, first woman, first from her party’s ideological roots, first to navigate the international stage dressed in a blend of tradition and modernity.

And with that came the heavier gaze by the world around on her gestures, looks, habits. True change will not only be measured by the gender of the occupant, but by whether the lens through which she is viewed becomes just as gender neutral as the one used for her male counterparts at the same forum. When the world writes about “prime minister” more than “female prime minister” when fewer mentions of habits and more mentions of substance appear in the headline then we’ll see that the glass has not only cracked, but shattered. Until then, the landmark remains symbolic and the real work continues for all the women watching across the globe to take on the world tomorrow.