At stake in this Referendum:

• The referendum will ask voters to decide whether to abolish Article 18 of the 1970 Labor Law which requires mandatory surrendering of property to electric companies and whether small companies should be forced to re-employ workers who were sacked for illegitimate reasons.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCON
• Assembly: Italy has a bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consisting of the Senate (Senato della Repubblica) with 315 seats* and the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) with 630 seats.

* In addition, there are a small number of senators-for-life including former presidents of the republic.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Referendum on mandatory surrendering of property to electric companies.
• Referendum on re-hiring illegitimately fired workers.

Electoral requirements:

• The provision must recieve a majority of votes to pass.
• If voter turnout is less than 50%, the results are invalidated.

Note: Although both provisions received a majority of votes cast, the results were invalidated due to lack of voter turnout.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 57,313,203 (2003)
• Registered Voters: 49,358,947 ( 2001 est.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 29,464,852 (2003)

·         Is Italy a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Italy ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 June 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 62 (Chamber of Deputies); 25 (Senate) (following the 2001 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 27 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Italy a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Italy ratified CRPD: Yes (15 May 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 8,596,980 (est.)