Corporate culture

Women

The ‘maternity penalty’ is holding back employment and population growth

Gender equality is more formal than substantive, and the gap is likely to widen as the population ages. 4. Managers: involving men

by Anna Migliorati

27 May 2026

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5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

An analysis of the World Bank’s *Women, Business and the Law 2026* report
In Italia, one in two women with children is in work; in the South, the figure is one in three
As the population ages, this becomes a family penalty
The role of individuals and businesses

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

(IlSole24Ore-Radiocor) - If it is to take another five generations of women to achieve true gender equality, the crux of the matter for Italia lies not in the laws but in everyday practices. This risks exacerbating the already severe demographic crisis, as well as depriving the labour market of talent. Individuals, alongside companies and institutions, are therefore called upon to take responsibility. This point is highlighted in the World Bank’s ‘Women, Business and the Law 2026’ report and is emphasised by Francesca Mazzolari, Managing Director of 4.Manager: ‘A significant gap for Italia emerges between the index for the regulatory framework on gender equality (92.93) and that for institutional capacity to enforce legal provisions (77.93),’ she says.

In essence, despite years of legislation aimed at tackling the gender gap, the real challenge arises when it comes to turning intentions into action. In couples where women work, the figures show that ‘the responsibility for children, as well as for elderly or dependent family members, continues to fall disproportionately on women: women spend four hours and forty-four minutes a day on domestic work, compared with two hours and six minutes for men. ‘This limits their ability to access, remain in and progress within jobs that require flexibility, mobility or longer working hours,’ says Mazzolari. ‘This phenomenon results in the so-called “maternity penalty”.’ In Italia, around 55 per cent of women with children are in work, a figure that falls to 35.3 per cent in the South. Even 15 years after the birth of a child, working mothers earn on average 40 per cent less than other women and work fewer hours.’

In fact, progress has been made over the last twenty years, according to data collected by Istat. Whilst in 2023, women aged 25 and over spend an average of 4 hours and 44 minutes a day on domestic work, compared with 2 hours and 6 minutes for men – a gap of 2 hours and 38 minutes – ten years earlier, in 2003, the gap exceeded three and a half hours. The gap has narrowed by around one hour, “but this is due more to the reduction in women’s domestic work (-40 minutes) than to the limited increase in men’s (+19 minutes)”, notes the National Institute of Statistics.

These differences persist even when women are in work: in couples aged 25–64 where both partners are in employment, men spent 1 hour and 48 minutes a day on domestic work in 2023, compared with 4 hours and 10 minutes for women.

DURATA MEDIA DEL LAVORO

Durata media del lavoro in un giorno medio settimanale delle coppie di 25-64 anni con entrambi i partner occupati per tipo di lavoro e sesso. Anni 2003 e 2023

This is also evident in the increasingly empty crèches, with the fertility rate having fallen to 1.14 children per woman. Part of the funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) have been allocated to the creation of over 150,000 new places in nurseries – a 9 per cent increase for children aged between 0 and 6 – with the long-term aim of achieving 33 per cent coverage nationwide, in line with European targets. However, ‘progress has so far been limited: the targets have been scaled back and only a small proportion of the new places will be available by the 2025–2026 school year,’ notes the Director-General of 4.Manager. It should also be emphasised that strengthening social infrastructure is not enough. It is necessary to promote a more equitable sharing of care responsibilities within families, with greater involvement of fathers and, more generally, of men.”

Following the progress made in recent decades, a new challenge is now emerging in the form of demographic imbalances between generations: after looking after their children, many women must also take on the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents – a task that places a much heavier burden on them than on men. ‘In an ageing society, it is important to broaden this perspective and begin to monitor a broader indicator of the “family penalty”’, points out Francesca Mazzolari.

But the gender gap often manifests itself in situations where individual behaviour plays a key role. ‘These are often seemingly minor behaviours, such as inappropriate remarks, exclusionary dynamics and inconsistent communication styles,’ continues Mazzolari. There are still professional contexts in which attitudes and behaviours, even at the highest levels, are tolerated because they have become normalised in other spheres, including the family. This can result in forms of informal exclusion, for example through social networks built around predominantly male activities, which affect career opportunities.”

Situations in which many women – and many female professionals – are unable to react. ‘This requires the creation of organisational environments in which people – both women and men – feel empowered and responsible for taking prompt action. We need stronger forms of collective responsibility: even seemingly minor behaviours, if widespread, can contribute to significant cultural change,” emphasises the Managing Director of 4.Manager.

Whilst it is up to the public to step up their efforts – rather than relying solely on infrastructure regulations and the necessary incentives – it is also up to individuals to take concrete responsibility; businesses, too, are called upon to play their part. “In this context, organisations such as 4.Manager and its founding social partners, Confindustria and Federmanager, play a crucial role in raising awareness and promoting best practice,” says Francesca Mazzolari.

Businesses can take action, for example, by providing financial support and flexible organisational arrangements to support women in the workplace. According to the Confindustria survey on employment, around 7 per cent of businesses (25 per cent of those with over 100 employees) offer contributions towards care or educational services, whilst 5.2 per cent (13 per cent of the largest firms) provide support for care of the elderly. Furthermore, work-life balance measures are included in almost 40% of company contracts, and remote working is adopted by 32.3% of businesses, primarily to promote a balance between private life and work.

There are still significant differences between large and small businesses. The former offer more comprehensive and structured tools, whilst SMEs face constraints of scale that make organising activities and managing absences more complex. “Company behaviour is also influenced by incentives,” emphasises 4.Manager. “In Italia, tax measures support corporate welfare and the adoption of gender equality policies, particularly in smaller companies, and remain a key factor in promoting their widespread adoption.”

“Investing in inclusion and organisational wellbeing also helps to enhance companies’ appeal and their ability to retain staff, as well as strengthening their standing with customers and stakeholders,” he concludes.

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