A female statue in Italy that some political groups claim perpetuates sexism against women has caused a stir in Italy, “triggering” strong reactions and political confrontation on the issue of political correctness with some calling for it to be pulled down.

The female statue in Sapri, Campania, in southern Italy, depicts a woman wearing a see-through dress that leaves little to the imagination.

The work of the sculptor Emanuele Stifano is dedicated to the poem La Spigolatrice di Sapri, written by the poet Luigi Mercantini in 1857. The poem is based on the story of a failed expedition against the Kingdom of Naples by Carlo Pisacane, one of the first Italian socialists. The presentation of the statue was also attended by the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte.

The critics of the statue talk about the sexualization of the female body. Laura Boldrini, a center-left Democratic MP, said the statue was an “insult to women and history”. She wrote on Twitter: “But how can even the institutions accept the representation of a woman as a sexualised body?”.