Italian
Work cannot be considered solely a productive dimension. The focus must remain on the person, the family, and the possibility of reconciling professional life and parenthood. This is the message conveyed by the Minister for Family, Natality, and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, who spoke at the panel “Freedom in work, not from work” as part of the 3rd “Festival of the Whole Human” promoted by the network “Ditelo sui Tetti” led by Attorney Domenico Menorello.
ROME. The meeting, inspired by the reflections contained in the encyclical Laborem Exercens promoted by Pope John Paul II, published on September 14, 1981 – “The purpose of work is not work itself, but man” – focused on the theme of reconciling employment and family responsibilities, with particular attention to motherhood.
“We addressed a fundamental topic which is the reconciliation between parenthood and work,” the Minister explained. “When we talk about motherhood, we must recognize that women still bear the greater burden of family care. It is an essential issue for the preservation of humanity and relationships.”
According to Roccella, the public debate continues to underestimate the value of care work, which represents a crucial component of social cohesion.
“For women – she emphasized – when we talk about access to work, we often talk about double work. There is professional work and there is care work, which continues to be little recognized despite being essential for keeping relationships, solidarity, and the very experience of parenthood alive.”
More women at work
During the discussion, the minister highlighted the results achieved by the Government in terms of female employment.
“We have been very committed to promoting women’s work, and the data shows us that, for the first time in many years, the percentage of employed women has significantly increased,” he stated. “Not only that: it is stable and quality work, not precarious employment.”
A result that, according to Roccella, has been facilitated by a series of measures dedicated to families and the reconciliation of work and life, including the strengthening of the universal allowance, the extension of parental leave, and financial support for childcare services.
“We have defended and implemented the universal allowance, introduced three months of parental leave paid at 80%, and increased support for nurseries. These are concrete tools to help families and promote female employment.”
The Business Code in Favor of Maternity
One of the central themes of the meeting was the “Code for Responsible Businesses in Favor of Maternity,” promoted by the Ministry for Family Affairs and supported by various entities in the productive sector.
For the Minister, the challenge is not only about public policies but also the role of companies: “This certification is essential because we want to create a general climate of awareness around parenthood, especially within businesses,” she explained. “Corporate welfare must increasingly be aimed at supporting mothers and fathers in managing family life.”
The goal is to create work environments where the choice to have children does not hinder professional growth: “Women must be truly free to have the children they desire and, at the same time, to develop their careers without penalties. Motherhood cannot be experienced as a brake or a professional cost.”
«Returning to the social value of motherhood»
In her speech, Roccella emphasized the need to regain a collective vision of birth rates: “Having children is certainly a personal choice and an individual happiness project, but it is also something that concerns the entire society,” she noted. “For this reason, we must return to recognizing the social value of motherhood and fatherhood.”
A call that extends to the business world and its social function.
“We do not want to impose obligations or take a top-down approach,” the minister concluded. “Instead, we want to promote responsibility, solidarity, and participation. There is a corporate social responsibility that must be recognized and valued, because supporting families means investing in the future of the entire community.”
A message that fits into the broader debate on demographic decline and the sustainability of the Italian social system, where the issue of reconciling work and family continues to represent one of the main challenges for public policies and the productive world.
