President Sergio Mattarella said Monday that Italy has not yet achieved equality between the sexes, adding that this would only come about when women are no longer expected to behave like men to do their jobs.
“The (Italian) Republic has given a lot to women,” the head of State said at a ceremony at the Quirinal Palace for International Women’s Day.
“Women have given a lot to the Republic. And the balance is still not equal”.
The president lamented “how many resources, how much talent we have lost over the years” for failing to give equal opportunities to women.
“The challenge concerns millions of women, workers, professionals, mothers.
The journey can only be said to be complete when women are no longer asked to adopt male behaviour patterns in various areas of society in order to have their role, abilities, and qualities recognized,” he said.
“Until this happens, there will continue to be a loss of values and opportunities for Italian society as a whole”.
The president also referred to the 1946 referendum to decide whether Italy should remain a monarchy or become a republic after World War II, with this year marking the 80th anniversary of the first ballot in which Italian women had the right to vote.
“It was a genuine revolution, which put an end to a centuries-old history of discrimination and marginalization and marked the beginning of a new era, where responsibility, opportunity, and rights were valid for women and men, finally on a level playing field,” Mattarella said.
“Women had always demonstrated their leading role and had reaffirmed it by supporting Italian society and the economy during the painful years of the two world wars, including by taking an active part in the Liberation, as partisan couriers, activists, and combatants.”
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