Italy is Home-Made. Which role will we assign to moms?

On February 14th, I attended a conference at Bicocca University in Milan. The title of this meeting was “Family, a resource? Or a pain in the neck?” I attended on behalf of the Italian Newspaper ilSole24Ore.com

The main speaker was Andrea Ichino, professor of Economics and Politics at the University of Bologna and author of L'Italia fatta in casa or (my translation) “The home-made Italy.” According to Ichino's study, Italians work more at home than in the market, in comparison with the Europeans and Americans. Sadder still is the fact that household duties are not divided evenly; women produce more than men. Women take care of grandparents, their father and mother in law, children and invalids. They cook, they clean, the manage the family! Women produce goods and services that are not counted as part of the Gross Domestic Product. When they need money, or simply want to realize potential, and try to find work (typically when the children are old enough to be looked after by their grandparents), they find that it is extremely difficult.

Ichino's research shows a very unpleasant situation, which is exactly why we should take time to reflect. Are we, Italian men and women, o.k. with this situation? Are we comfortable with it?

According to Ichino, what has to be changed is our preferences and (I would add), our priorities. We should definitely put a stone over the idea of a “forever-stable job” (something typical in the Italian mentality). Personally, I think it's insane that in Italy, a person cannot be fired for working poorly. These people are just going to be taking up deskspace forever! Ichino says, “If we want the change, we have to give up the idea of eternal job-security.”

But really, who should give up is not Bicocca students, who will struggle to find good jobs over the next 10 years; it's the older generation, our parents and older siblings. Today, 30 year old Italians are considered privileged to have an indefinite work contract.

If this trend continues, and according to many it will, we will see more and more young people on waiting lists until they turn 40, waiting for a stable job. After that, we'll see people getting married to start families later and later.

Here they are, the magic words (which can save us from this swamp), from the boredom of a rigid and dull Italian work market: Mobility & Flexibility. Ichino proposes also, that a fiscal relief on women's revenues so that they can gain entry into the workplace.

“If we really think that a better balance at the family level is a good thing for us, we have to change the system.” “It is no good; the cause and effect principle making it so working moms have less children” says Ichino. “The U.S. has proven the contrary.” American women work more than Italian women, and have more children. So, who doesn't want a life, lived to the fullest? Who wouldn't want to be the protagonist of change? Do we really want to change things or not? Do we want less taxes? Do we want more wealth?

The starting point is always there; it's about taking a conscious look at ourselves as human beings who have needs and desires. We should not stop talking about it. Not because we like to complain, but because we want our voices heard! We gladly do without cynics and skeptics, who deeply believe that Italy will never change.