An analysis of the condition of working mothers in Italy
I was interviewed by the newspaper Heraldo on the occasion of the publication of the Report “The Balancing Acts: Motherhood in Italy in 2025” by Save the Children Italy. The article, published on May 10, 2025, highlighted the persistent difficulty of Italian working mothers in balancing professional and family life.
Read the full article on Heraldo
Key points of the Report and my interview
The report, edited by demographer Alessandra Minello and developed through the Mothers’ Index (a quantitative tool created by Save the Children Italy and ISTAT), measures the rights and well-being of mothers at the regional level in Italy, considering various domains such as care, work, representation, health, and subjective satisfaction.
The child penalty and its consequences
In the interview, I highlighted how the child penalty – the set of occupational and wage disadvantages suffered by women after the birth of a child – profoundly influences female careers in Italy. The data shows that parenthood is responsible for 60% of the difference in the employment rate between men and women.
“The work world is constantly evolving, but this is a historical period in which dynamism and growth are at historical highs: being out of the workforce for two years can mean having to train on new technologies, or no longer being suitable for a role previously performed with competence.”
The strategies needed for real change
I shared with Heraldo’s readers the strategies that I suggest daily to the women I coach:
“We women must be the first to revolutionize the way we manage the family, since today the cost of living has increased, and we not only feel the need to fulfill ourselves professionally, but we have every right and possibility to do so.”
I emphasized the importance of:
- Planning family finances together
- Deciding how to share care duties
- Asking for help when necessary
- Overcoming the automatisms that take for granted that the family mental load is the prerogative of women
Occupational segregation and opportunities for change
The report also highlights the persistence of horizontal and vertical segregation in the Italian labor market. During the interview, I emphasized:
“Italy is a less combative country than others, but I believe that today we have really begun to talk about and raise awareness on these issues. We are extremely behind, we are at the bottom in Europe regarding many aspects of gender equality, but we are still moving forward.”
The cultural revolution at multiple levels
I highlighted how change must happen simultaneously in different areas:
“I believe that the cultural revolution we are witnessing originates at multiple levels: family, corporate, regulatory. Every piece of these changes, every small improvement has an impact.”
The situation of mothers with migratory backgrounds
The article also highlighted the additional difficulties faced by women with migratory backgrounds, with concerning data on female employment in this segment of the population.