Women In Italy Protest Against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi

Thousands of women gathered in central Rome yesterday to protest against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is currently under fire for allegedly paying a minor for sex.

According to reports, a Milan court is investigating the nature of Berlusconi's relationship with Moroccan nightclub performer Karima El Mahroug, who attended a party at his Milan mansion when she was 17.

The allegations have incited uproar across the country, sparking protests in over 200 cities. In addition, marches were also organised in London, Tokyo, Athens, Brussels and the US via Facebook.

The protest organiser, Ida Poletto, called for female dignity to be restored.

"Women in this country are denigrated by the repeated, indecent and ostentatious representation of women as a naked sexual object on offer in newspapers, televisions and advertising," said Poletto.

The situation in the Italian capital is so tense that President Giorgio Napolitano has apparently warned parliament that a new election may take place in the near future.

It's not the first time Berlusconi has been accused of associating with minors - in 2009, high-class escort Patrizia D'Addario made secret recordings of herself and Berculsconi over two nights at the Prime Minister's official residence in Rome, which later leaked onto the internet.