Women’s dignity in Italy: No rose without thorns
Posted 1:44 PM by Internal Voices in Labels: 12th Edition |
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Throughout history, women have been denied civil, political and economic rights. In a world where words as democracy and rights are used daily, it seems absurd that women still aren’t completely free… In Italy, before we are even born, the wish expressed by our parents is already: “Auguri e figli maschi” – Congratulations, may you be blessed with sons. In many parts of the world women are still a subordinated figure, reduced to a role of procreation, with few rights and many domestic duties. Women are not only robbed of human dignity through genital mutilation and rape, but they are made the property of men. These women are denied their rights - but there are also women who put themselves in a situation where their rights are trampled on. Some women demean themselves, which is, in my opinion, the situation in Italy.
THE WORLD OF ITALIAN WOMEN. The third article of the Italian Constitution states that human beings are equal regardless of gender. In Italy there is a Ministry that should fight for equal opportunities although it does not have a portfolio. However, simply looking at some data concerning employment, salaries and political representation shows that there is still a long way to go to reach equality. Italian women get better academic degrees than men, there are also more women than men who graduate, and yet, less than fifty percent of women have a paid job. Moreover, women at the same working level as men earn 16.8% less than their male colleagues. Female ministers of government represent 21% in total, whereas in the Parliament the percentage of women does not exceed 20%. This is the world faced by Italian women, a world in which they are introduced to others as “the wife of” or “the fiancée of” and rarely by their name and surname.
LUXURY LIFE. In Italy, women have to face a life that is much more difficult than the lives of their male colleagues, not only at work but also in their private life. Over the last two decades, a trend has developed in which women use their bodies to get what they want. The situation is now internationally infamous because of the Berlusconi scandals, but it has deep roots in the entire society. Nowadays the police headquarters in Milan are witnessing the coming and going of young girls who are beautiful, wear heavy make up, with bags as big as suitcases and large sunglasses that cost more than the rent of an apartment. To afford this, they sell themselves to employers, rich men and politicians.
TAUGHT BY SOCIETY. These women are the product of a society that revolves around money, celebrities and sex. While growing up in Italy, this is what you hear and see, what is shown on television, what is suggested by governments in the media, and even by female politicians who are elected for other skills than their political ones. In Italy showgirls can magically move from the dancing pole to a seat in Parliament. These young women choose prostitution as the fastest way to achieve their goals: money, fame, employment or just a top grade from university. This well-known trend is the product of a deep cultural change, a lack of education, culture and dignity that has arisen in the last decades in the Italian society. It is a society that has lost values such as family, respect, solidarity and altruism. Instead Italy has slowly grown to be an individualistic society where abuse and quick access to everything and everyone has become the most important thing, regardless of how you get it. In a society that in general does not invest in young human beings and even less in young women, young people are left at the mercy of an uncertain future. It is difficult for a young Italian woman to cut herself free from this situation when she is constantly promised that her dreams can come true in return for indecent proposals offered by men.
HOPE. There is also an Italian community that looks differently at their lives On February 13th 2011, Italian women in all major Italian cities and on major squares all over the world protested for their dignity and respect, joining what Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese pro democracy icon, said: “a meaningful existence goes beyond the mere gratification of material needs. Not everything can be bought with money, not everyone is willing to be bought”. Unfortunately, some women who demean themselves don’t realize the impact of their acts.
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