Women in Italy Today: Society, Work, Politics and the Fight for Equality

AI Briefing

• – Italy's female employment rate trails behind France, Germany and Britain, with women earning on average 10.7% less than men, and facing significant structural barriers to equal economic participation.
• – The country's first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has taken office, but her government has faced criticism for restricting access to abortion services and sex education, and for not addressing the root causes of violence against women.
• – The motherhood penalty, inadequate childcare infrastructure, and cultural expectations that assign care responsibilities to women disproportionately contribute to low female employment rates and perpetuate the pay gap in Italy.