The ninth annual report “The Equilibrists – Motherhood in Italy 2024” by Save the Children, in collaboration with Istat, reveals a detailed picture of the situation of Italian mothershighlighting both the progress made and the challenges still to be faced.
In the ranking of the most welcoming regions for mothers, the Autonomous Province of Bolzano is confirmed at first placefollowed by Emilia-Romagna, while the Basilicata occupies thelast positionpreceded by Campania and Sicily. However, a positive note emerges: Tuscany gains a position, taking third place.
One in five mothers leaves their job, data on maternity
The report highlights that in Italy one in five workers leaves the job market after becoming a mother, and 72.8% of the resignations of new parents concern women. Furthermore, the average number of children per woman continues to decrease (1.20), while the average age of women at childbirth is the highest in Europe (32.5 years).
One of the main challenges faced by Italian mothers is… conciliation Between family commitments and those of Work. The female employment rate stands at 63.8%, but only just over half of women with two or more minor children are employed (57.8%). On the contrary, for men of the same age group, the total employment rate is 83.7%, highlighting a gap significant among genres.
However, there are positive signs: compared to 2022the territorial gaps have narrowed and the distance between the least favorable region, Basilicata, and the one with the best performance, Bolzano, has decreased by 7 points. Furthermore, the overall value of Italy as a country system has increased, indicating a greater awareness of the importance of parenting support after years of public debate.
Save the Children’s report highlights the importance of adopting policies and initiatives aimed at supporting Italian mothers in reconciling work and motherhood, reducing gender gaps and guaranteeing equal opportunities for all women.
