IV. COWSIDERATIOR OF REPORTSSURMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLS 18 OF THS CONVBNTION A. At its tenth session, the Committee considered two initial reports eight second periodic reports submitted by States parties under article The status of submission of reports by States parties the Convention. indicated in annax III to the present report. 41. and 18 of is The following paragraphs, arranged on a country-by-country basis according to the sequence followed by the Committee in its consideration of the reports of States parties, contain a summary of the views expressed, observations made and questions asked by the members of the Committee on the reports of the States parties elements concerned , as well as the substantive of the replies given by the representatives of the State6 parties present at More detailed information is contained in the reports submitted -the meetings. Iby States parties and in the summary records. ~42. _~~-~~~~ ~~- 43. The Committee considered the initial report of Italy (CEDAWX151Add.62) -at its 172nd and 178th meetings, on 21 and 24 January (see CEDAW/C/SR.ll? -and 178). In introducing the report, the representative of Italy stated that the advancement of uomen in.Italy had started with the participation of thousands of women in tire fight for national liberation, which had led first to the -obtainment of political rights for women in 1945, and later to the recognition of the equality of women's dignity and responsibility in the Constitution. -She said, however, that although women's equality had been recognised by law, there was still a possibility of a regression on account of cultural reasons, which could endanger the goals already achieved. For that reason, the National Commission for the Achievement of Equality between Men and Women, on which most women's associations were represented, concentrated mainly on inareasing the participation of women in institutions and in society. She remarked that female voters, as a result of old stereotypes, had not given vnough support to women candidates, but the recent introduction of a quota system for political parties should provide a good basis for the resolution of such a problem. Therefore, the equality commissions that had been established constituted a very efficient meansof eliminating the most persistent obstacles to equality. 44. 45. The representative highlighted several measures undertaken by the National Commission, such as the opening of a “women’s win%ow" where the public could deposit observations on the positive or negative image of women in the ma&%8 mediar the inspection of school books in relation to the role played by womenin historyl research on womeuJtire publication of a manual on -12-