AAA is looking for a job. What if women tried less obvious paths, alternatives to services (a sector that employs more than 70 percent, according to the latest Istat data) and explored the professional potential of politics, a world of ideals and passions, as well as well-paid salaries? Photographing the Italian women’s presence in politics helps to understand the potential of the sector, even if the reality is complex and multifaceted: the presence Italian women in the European Parliamentfor example, it reaches 41.1 per cent of the seats, higher than the average for women in the European Parliament of 40.6 per cent. However, at the Italian level, only 8 (34.7%) of the 23 ministries are ministers in the current Draghi government, and the presidency of the Republic (at least for now) remains a mirage, as we saw at the event. Sergio Mattarella bis. There seems to be a leap into the void in regional institutions, with female presence averaging around 22.4% compared to the EU average of 34.2%. A negative result for the office of the president of the region, a real center of power thanks to the delegations of health and education: only one woman holds the post of governor, and we are talking about Umbria, with Donatella Tesei. So what?

“It is true that the number of women in politics increased after the Clean Hands investigation of 1993, when the precious pink quotas were introduced, but when they were abolished, the presence of women always decreased. Therefore, attention should be paid to the instrumental use of women, aimed at creating a kind of crisis institutions or at transferring votes to party colleagues. Often the presence of women was and remains only a façade operation: the structures and culture of men in strategic positions have not yet changed much, so much so that there are still very few women in the centers of power, from politics to industry. from universities to healthcare,” warns Fatima Farina, Professor of Sociology of Economic and Labor Processes at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo and author with Domenico Carbone of Women’s Political Participation Between Formal and Substantial Representation (Franco Angeli). “It is really useless to hide a paradoxical and dangerous trend that, on the one hand, sees a greater presence of women in politics at the global level, and on the other, casts doubt on the achievements already achieved, see the Pillon law or abortion restrictions from Poland to Oklahoma . I am convinced that the equal representation of women in politics will not just be a matter of time and patience, I would say a thousand years, but a real cultural revolution is needed, which will significantly rebuild society, ”explains the sociologist.

And what can be the starting point for women to go into politics without exploitation and with the determination to take empty seats, and not just the back ones? “Probably the schools of political training for young people, university courses on gender, among other things, are very widespread abroad, because from there politics of change can be born, work on “content”, which puts justice at the center for a world where everyone is represented and not are discriminated against,” adds Fatina Farina. Italy has five schools of political training designed for citizens, as well as four more schools designed to train candidates and municipal administrators; all refer to the names of the party secretaries who founded them, or to political parties. The Prime Minister’s School, which opened in 2019 and is exclusively for high school students, is brand new and completely free. “The first course of 10 lessons was offered in Sicily in 2019 to respond to the need for girls to be more aware of their resources beyond gender stereotypes. And then to the specific need to work on the topic of politics and neutralize this phenomenon of alienation, which coincides with the feeling of little or very little representation. In school, politics is taboo, we shouldn’t talk about it, and the prime minister wants to bring young girls closer to these issues and help them build a real network,” explains Denise di Dio, co-founder and president of the prime minister. , a political science graduate and public administration officer in Milan. The first school in Favara, in the province of Agrigento, was followed by a school in Naples, then in Rome, in Bari, exporting a format that today has about 700 girls and 150 references. “4 more courses will soon be added in Ivrea, Asti, Turin and Savona, and then in other regions where we can create a network of donations and volunteers that are activated locally. Lab workshops are interspersed with meetings with role models and feedback, and specific projects in the field that may not end with a course, but in which the girls remain active and continue their activities at the community level. From North to South, there is an equally strong desire of young women to be the authors of their own destiny, the realization that they can afford everything, even become prime ministers,” concludes Denise di Dio.

For now, to the original question, if women have and will have a chance to find work in politics, answers 23-year-old Federica Bellato, PhD student at Bocconi’s Faculty of Politics and Policy Analysis, thanks to her experience: “In the European Parliament, issues that concern us young people, from climate change to the pension system, are discussed, but they are not considered the care that politicians need. That is why three of my classmates and I entered and won the FuturEU 2022 competition with our proposal to introduce youth quotas, so-called young quotations dedicated to young people in the European Parliament, to counteract the under-representation of our generation in the European Parliament. Decision making process. It was an exciting experience, I realized on the field that I am interested in doing politics, first of all as an analysis of the mechanisms that govern and orient it, even if I do not rule out an active commitment in the future.”

WOMEN IN POLITICS: REVIEWS

important to do

Carla Bartoli, 16 years old, student of the classical high school in Favara (Agrigento).

“This year I studied at the third lyceum at the international school in Paris, and next year I will enter the fourth year at the international school in Palermo, having moved from Agrigento. When I grow up, I would like to pursue a diplomatic career or go into politics: in France, I closely followed the presidential elections and realized how much I care about geopolitics and how much I would like to work in the UN or the European Union. . I know I dream big, but I also know that this is a possible path. I attended the Prime Minister’s School (pictured above), met other girls, talked to important women who managed to realize their professional projects in politics. In addition, I have the support of my parents, who passed on to me their passion and commitment to the community they live in, even if compared to them I would like to take a step forward, I have a specific spirit, I love to “do things”: for example, at the beginning of the conflict, I raised 12,000 euros for Ukraine in just 3 days. For my peers, going into politics is a bad choice, but for me it is an opportunity to change the world; Although many people say that being a woman is more difficult, for me this is an advantage. No problem, I’ll roll up my sleeves, the thought of hard work doesn’t scare me.”

Life at the forefront

Milu Allegra, 55, physical education teacher, three children, 20 years in politics as a provincial councilor, municipal councilor, today a member of the minority municipal council in Novara.

“Of course, politics can be a job for women, always supported by a very strong passion. If it is chosen as the main occupation, it must be appropriately rewarded, because otherwise it would be the prerogative of only those who can afford it and have a wealthy family; you certainly can’t live on the admission fee, so I was always close to my work at school. For women, on the contrary, I have experienced it the hard way all these years, it is increasingly difficult for men to break through because they have to deal with social prejudices and times of politics that do not get along well with the family. obligations. . Having said that, I think politics needs full-time women and women’s quotas can make up for the cultural equality that we haven’t achieved yet at the moment.”

optimism and will

Elena Tomassini, aged 18, fourth-year student at the Linguistic High School in Rieti.

“In April of this year, I turned 18 years old, and I immediately ran for the administration of my city of Rieti in the elections to the municipal council. Since the age of 14 I have been involved in student movements and love to be involved in politics, which for me means contacting people, serving others in the area, fighting together; Unfortunately, as a political faction, we lost, but personally I am pleased with my result. This did not discourage me at all, on the contrary, we are now starting to really work. This experience gave me awareness and allowed me to learn more about the environment in which I live. I would like to help disprove and overcome all those stereotypes that oppress women, and young women in particular; many of

we hold back for fear of being ridiculed when I want to be there. With your head held high.”

Payroll in politics

How much do you earn? This is a question that can be answered in many ways, since the salaries of civil servants at the local and regional level vary depending on the number of inhabitants. There is no gender pay gap in this sector, as the society does not allow wage discrimination between men and women (gross wages are given).

Municipal councilor: from 18 euros per visit up to 100 euros in municipalities with more than 500,000 inhabitants.

Advisor: from 300 euros per month to 7000 euros in a big city.

Mayor: from 2,208 euros per month for a municipality with up to 3,000 inhabitants to 13,800 euros for metropolitan areas.

Regional Advisor: from 10,000 to 12,000 euros per month.

Regional President: maximum ceiling €13,800 gross per month.

Prime Minister: €6,700 per month (net amount in this case).

Minister: about 9,000 euros per month for technicians, if they are already parliamentarians, they do not add salaries.

President of Parliament: €16,000 gross per month.

Member of Parliament: €13,971.35 per month.

President of the Senate: 16,000 euros per month.

Senator: €14,634.89 per month.

President of the Republic: 18,300 euros per month.