Women say that low salaries, precarious employment and poor childcare options are holding them back from starting families.
Giada, a 30-year-old writer, lives in central Italy with her boyfriend, a shop assistant also in his thirties.
After several unpaid internships, she finally secured a more reliable position this year.
As a writer specialising in science, she earns about 800 euros ($876) a month on a one-year part-time contract.
“They said they are going to renew it, but it’s a small company and everything is very unstable,” Giada told Al Jazeera.
For this reason, she is postponing motherhood.
“Having kids has never been a question for me, and my boyfriend and I discuss it as he would also like to have them. But then we think about our precarious situation and realise that becoming parents now would not be sustainable. We barely make ends meet – imagine with a child.”
Working in Italy as a woman is fraught with challenges.
The country is home to the lowest female employment rate in the European Union and a steep gender pay gap. Women are also often more likely to be employed in “non-standard” arrangements, such as part-time and temporary jobs. And it is mothers and young women who are the most affected.
Reference and Read More : https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/12/15/127