“Aim for 500,000 new births by 2033: this is the goal that our country must give itself to save itself from demographic and social decline. A concrete goal, achievable and verifiable from year to year, but which is also the only one that can help us in this critical phase, otherwise everything collapses: GDP, welfare, the pension system and the National Health Service”. This is Gigi De’s warning Palo, national president of the Forum of family associations and of the Foundation for the birth rate, speaking at the conference “Family Affairs. The fall in birth rate between job protection and informed choices”, promoted today in Rome by Comin & Partners. The debate saw representatives of companies, of associations, the media and the healthcare world to discuss declining births, lack of support for businesses and female workers and social pressures on women held responsible for the falling birth rate.
“Today we are at 400 thousand born – underlines De Palo – so we have to make a reasoning on the basis of which, through serious, impactful, not fragmented policies, every year we should be able to increase by 10 thousand more births than the previous year. The problem is that I don’t see anyone setting themselves this goal. And we continue to talk about the birth rate in a ‘random’ way, as an abstract principle, but, on the contrary, it is a concrete necessity. If we do lots of little things, they don’t make an impact.”
De Palo launches an appeal to the institutions, “but in general to all civil society, to the world of business, of banks, because teamwork is needed. The press should talk more about this issue, the credit system should help young people, Why the birth of a child is today the second cause of poverty“. Having children “is not an obligation – he points out – but on the contrary it is a question of freedom. However, today those who do not want to procreate are free to do so. Instead, whoever wants to have a child must choose. More and more women are forced to choose between work and family, between pregnancy and dismissal. Paradoxically, those who have no children should cheer for the ‘500,000 quota’, otherwise in the next 10 years those who will lose out will be above all the most fragile people, those who will be left without a pension or health care because welfare costs will be cut”.
According to the latest Istat data – it emerged from the meeting – in 2021 there was a further drop in births in Italy, with less than 400 thousand new born and one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. In parallel, a survey conducted by Manageritalia recorded a 13.5% increase in female managers (compared to 3.6% of men) among executives in the private sector. These data show the connection between work and parenthood and underline the importance of promoting policies that favor a work and social environment that allows women to reconcile motherhood and professional life.
“Several factors can influence the choice not to procreate – observes Elena Di Giovanni, vice president of Comin & Partners – which can therefore be conditioned by some economic and social obstacles. Often there is the pressure of a gender gap that is still incisive in the world of work , which can make motherhood perceived as a disadvantage along the way, and still insufficient support for families in terms of incentives.I hope that the reference to gender equality will be reinserted in the Procurement Code to enhance female workers as a fundamental resource for the country. A common reflection is needed to protect women and promote a better balance between professional and family life”.
In addition to De Palo and Di Giovanni, Alessandra Bellasio, midwife and founder of Unimamma.it took part in the round table; Alessandra Buonguerrieri, deputy and member of the Justice Commission; Luca Cifoni, journalist of ‘Il Messaggero’ and author of the book ‘The cradle trap. Why not having children is a problem for Italy and how to get out of it’ (Edizioni Rubbettino 2022); Luisa Quarta, coordinator of the Women Manageritalia Group; Linda Laura Sabbadini, director of the Department for the development of methods and technologies for the production and dissemination of Istat statistical information.