The commitment to combating violence against women is linked to efforts to bridge the gender gap on work and pay
Women…and work, freedom and safety. In attempting to bring a certain clarity to thinking about crisis points and the prospects for a more balanced society – at a time when there has rightly been so much debate about the relationship between the commitment to stopping violence against women and focus on key data relating to how independent women’s lives are – we might start from the latest news, and how choices and prescriptions are laid down in Italy’s most fundamental law – the Constitution.
We would do well, then, to pay heed to the recent pronouncements of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella: “The issue of gender inequalities and the harm they do to the community is of fundamental concern to institutions…[It is, therefore, necessary to] “place emphasis on three key actions: preventing violence against women, a despicable phenomenon that is, sadly, still happening today; equal opportunities for attaining senior roles in the world of work; and the adoption of a gender perspective across all European policies” (from Mattarella’s speech to a delegation at the Women Economic Forum, 23 November).
Indeed, the Constitution is clear. Article 1 places work at the foundation of the democratic Republic (work as the cornerstone of citizenship, dignity and responsible participation); Article 4 recognises the right to work and promotes the “conditions that make this right effective” (below, we see how far we have to go on this issue, especially for women); Article 37 is worth rereading carefully: “Female workers have the same rights as male workers and, when performing the same work, equal pay.” Furthermore: “Working conditions must allow them to fulfil their essential family function and ensure special protection for mothers and children.” In this respect, too, the requirements of the Constitution are far from being implemented in practice.
Let us now turn to recent news. “Forty-four thousand mothers expelled from the workforce”, reported La Stampa on six December, recounting how, according to data from the Annual Report of the National Labour Inspectorate, almost forty-four thousand working mothers resigned from their jobs in 2022. The majority (63%) gave one reason: the difficulty of juggling employment and childcare. And 79.4% of those who resigned were in the 29-44 age group.
La Stampa followed up the data with surveys, interviews and testimonies from working women who – faced with the choice between work (i.e. a salary, career, independence, achieving life projects and ambitions) and their commitment/duty to care for family members – made a clear choice and, very often, a difficult and demanding one that is under-recognised, under-appreciated and under-valued by society. All this has serious consequences for the future: a woman who, over the course of her life, has no financial independence depends on the choices of a man, and what he is prepared to grant her.
But, here’s the thing: despite the progress Italy has made on female employment, the country is some way behind when it comes to the rate of female participation in the labour market; 48.2 per cent for 15 to 74-year-olds, compared to an EU average of 59.5 per cent.
According to other data (World Economic Forum, 2022), Italy ranks 63rd out of 146 countries in terms of its gender gap, behind Uganda and Zambia and with no progress on the previous year. And if you only look at European countries, we rank 25th out of 35 countries.
To date, incentives for hiring women have not helped bridge the divide. “Unequal work” was the headline in La Repubblica (12 December), which explained how “when it comes to female employment, the percentage shows no shift away from the entrenched 40-60 gap with men. That is, 40% of the total working population in Italy is female with the other 60% made up of males – by now a well-established statistic”. Inapp – Italy’s National Institute for Public Policy Analysis – confirms that a 50-50 split remains a dream, even if we look at contracts incentivised by a range of public bonuses awarded in recent years. Moreover, “women are offered compulsory fixed-term or part-time contracts, with low salaries that will mean they receive very poor pensions in the future”.
Commenting on this, again in La Republica, Michela Marzano attacks the absurdity of a system that continues to penalise women “despite the expertise, education, good will and all the skills (shall we talk about multitasking…?) that many of them have been forced to develop over the centuries precisely because they were trying to create opportunities for themselves in a world that grants precious little to women. There is nothing to be done, there is no way out, despite the incentives”.
But in terms of what can be done, the list of measures we need to implement is long and well-established. Near the top are services for families, day-care centres, policies to support public care for the elderly who live at home with their children and structuring working hours differently (the digital transformation of the economy can help here).
But it is not just about support. It is as much about a real cultural shift – in values and daily habits concerning gender equality, leveraging both the issue of rights and women’s essential contribution to sustainable development from a qualitative and quantitative viewpoint.
What is needed, of course – in an era when stakeholders’ values and the values of relations with employees, suppliers, consumers and areas and communities local to the company itself are so prevalent – is a long-term choice on the part of business culture too, to take an active part in sustainable, environmental and social development.
Indeed, a business is an active and enterprising community, with the women and men who are part of it at its very heart. They are not merely “human capital” (an economic term) but, above all, “people”. A living fabric of relationships forged from intelligence, passion, creativity, a love of research, professional rigour, pride in one’s origins, historical awareness and a vision of the future – strong values, in other words. These are places where women can express their own original interpretation of change and display an extraordinary strength in advancing its essential elements.
The strength of a business, with solid Italian roots and a global vision, lies in valuing diversity, whether this is generational, cultural, educational or related to gender, background or identity – a range of experiences and ways of viewing the world, of memories and of plans for a better future.
The female viewpoint has a special power: at the various levels of participation and seniority, and increasing over time, it gives companies sensitivity and flexibility – a genuine “intelligence of the heart” that improves not only how we perform, but, above all, our ability to stay in tune with social and economic changes.
Women are the cornerstone of the idea of “industrial humanism”, which is the foundation for the most positive developments in Italian economic culture – and the key to the competitiveness of our economic system. It is a foundation we must value and strengthen.
(Picture Getty Images)
Women…and work, freedom and safety. In attempting to bring a certain clarity to thinking about crisis points and the prospects for a more balanced society – at a time when there has rightly been so much debate about the relationship between the commitment to stopping violence against women and focus on key data relating to how independent women’s lives are – we might start from the latest news, and how choices and prescriptions are laid down in Italy’s most fundamental law – the Constitution.
We would do well, then, to pay heed to the recent pronouncements of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella: “The issue of gender inequalities and the harm they do to the community is of fundamental concern to institutions…[It is, therefore, necessary to] “place emphasis on three key actions: preventing violence against women, a despicable phenomenon that is, sadly, still happening today; equal opportunities for attaining senior roles in the world of work; and the adoption of a gender perspective across all European policies” (from Mattarella’s speech to a delegation at the Women Economic Forum, 23 November).
Indeed, the Constitution is clear. Article 1 places work at the foundation of the democratic Republic (work as the cornerstone of citizenship, dignity and responsible participation); Article 4 recognises the right to work and promotes the “conditions that make this right effective” (below, we see how far we have to go on this issue, especially for women); Article 37 is worth rereading carefully: “Female workers have the same rights as male workers and, when performing the same work, equal pay.” Furthermore: “Working conditions must allow them to fulfil their essential family function and ensure special protection for mothers and children.” In this respect, too, the requirements of the Constitution are far from being implemented in practice.
Let us now turn to recent news. “Forty-four thousand mothers expelled from the workforce”, reported La Stampa on six December, recounting how, according to data from the Annual Report of the National Labour Inspectorate, almost forty-four thousand working mothers resigned from their jobs in 2022. The majority (63%) gave one reason: the difficulty of juggling employment and childcare. And 79.4% of those who resigned were in the 29-44 age group.
La Stampa followed up the data with surveys, interviews and testimonies from working women who – faced with the choice between work (i.e. a salary, career, independence, achieving life projects and ambitions) and their commitment/duty to care for family members – made a clear choice and, very often, a difficult and demanding one that is under-recognised, under-appreciated and under-valued by society. All this has serious consequences for the future: a woman who, over the course of her life, has no financial independence depends on the choices of a man, and what he is prepared to grant her.
But, here’s the thing: despite the progress Italy has made on female employment, the country is some way behind when it comes to the rate of female participation in the labour market; 48.2 per cent for 15 to 74-year-olds, compared to an EU average of 59.5 per cent.
According to other data (World Economic Forum, 2022), Italy ranks 63rd out of 146 countries in terms of its gender gap, behind Uganda and Zambia and with no progress on the previous year. And if you only look at European countries, we rank 25th out of 35 countries.
To date, incentives for hiring women have not helped bridge the divide. “Unequal work” was the headline in La Repubblica (12 December), which explained how “when it comes to female employment, the percentage shows no shift away from the entrenched 40-60 gap with men. That is, 40% of the total working population in Italy is female with the other 60% made up of males – by now a well-established statistic”. Inapp – Italy’s National Institute for Public Policy Analysis – confirms that a 50-50 split remains a dream, even if we look at contracts incentivised by a range of public bonuses awarded in recent years. Moreover, “women are offered compulsory fixed-term or part-time contracts, with low salaries that will mean they receive very poor pensions in the future”.
Commenting on this, again in La Republica, Michela Marzano attacks the absurdity of a system that continues to penalise women “despite the expertise, education, good will and all the skills (shall we talk about multitasking…?) that many of them have been forced to develop over the centuries precisely because they were trying to create opportunities for themselves in a world that grants precious little to women. There is nothing to be done, there is no way out, despite the incentives”.
But in terms of what can be done, the list of measures we need to implement is long and well-established. Near the top are services for families, day-care centres, policies to support public care for the elderly who live at home with their children and structuring working hours differently (the digital transformation of the economy can help here).
But it is not just about support. It is as much about a real cultural shift – in values and daily habits concerning gender equality, leveraging both the issue of rights and women’s essential contribution to sustainable development from a qualitative and quantitative viewpoint.
What is needed, of course – in an era when stakeholders’ values and the values of relations with employees, suppliers, consumers and areas and communities local to the company itself are so prevalent – is a long-term choice on the part of business culture too, to take an active part in sustainable, environmental and social development.
Indeed, a business is an active and enterprising community, with the women and men who are part of it at its very heart. They are not merely “human capital” (an economic term) but, above all, “people”. A living fabric of relationships forged from intelligence, passion, creativity, a love of research, professional rigour, pride in one’s origins, historical awareness and a vision of the future – strong values, in other words. These are places where women can express their own original interpretation of change and display an extraordinary strength in advancing its essential elements.
The strength of a business, with solid Italian roots and a global vision, lies in valuing diversity, whether this is generational, cultural, educational or related to gender, background or identity – a range of experiences and ways of viewing the world, of memories and of plans for a better future.
The female viewpoint has a special power: at the various levels of participation and seniority, and increasing over time, it gives companies sensitivity and flexibility – a genuine “intelligence of the heart” that improves not only how we perform, but, above all, our ability to stay in tune with social and economic changes.
Women are the cornerstone of the idea of “industrial humanism”, which is the foundation for the most positive developments in Italian economic culture – and the key to the competitiveness of our economic system. It is a foundation we must value and strengthen.
(Picture Getty Images)