Do you think those women were more politically conscious than your average Italian or did they just feel like they had nothing to lose given their status in society?

I'd say a bit of both. I believe it was mostly just anger at the way they were treated by the government in general. These were often women who grew up in rough environments and would have generally been considered to be ill-mannered. That also meant they didn't have much respect for authority or polite society, and were ready to speak out if they felt they were being disrespected.