Career or motherhood, no one should choose: the example of Ursula Von der Leyen

Maternity or career. Childcare or work and job satisfaction. No woman should be forced to choose, yet that’s what happens almost systematically. In Italy, but not only. In our country in 2020 they were over 37 thousand new working mothers who have submitted their resignations (source: National Labor Inspectorate) reporting as a recurring reason the impossibility of reconciling work commitments with the care of younger children.

A situation that can no longer be ignored and which has also been discussed in recent days in the context of the W20, the G20 on women. “We must strive to create the right conditions for all women to enjoy a equal access to the labor market “, said the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, who stressed that at the next summit in Rome she could be the only woman in the group of leaders:” There could not be a better reminder than it is still long the road to gender equality “.

And from mother of 7 children and former minister of the Family first and then of Labor in the German government of Angela Merkel, she speaks with full knowledge of the facts. “Too many of us have been told that we had to choose between being a mother and making a career. As a mother of seven and as President of the European Commission, I beg to differ. But I know the obstacles that women face “. It is true that her economic and family conditions have facilitated her in pursuit of her dream, that of doing professional politics out of passion. But there is no doubt that from her position she knows how difficult the daily life of a working mother can be, always struggling with organizational puzzles and the emotional blackmail of society.

“We need parental payments and parental leave for mothers and fathers. We need to offer more and better childcare. We must strengthen care for the elderly ”, added Von der Leyen according to whom“ these policies require a cultural change, but also adequate resources ”.

Authoritative without being authoritarian, firm and decisive, but never over the top, the president of the Commission has always been considered a “super woman”, so much so that she was nicknamed Lara Croft when she was appointed defense minister in 2013.

And this already gives an idea of ​​how much work there is still to be done on the subject of working mothers. When a woman dedicated to work becomes a mother and manages to carry out her career successfully, there is always that basic amazement, that wanting to exalt her deeds. Because basically we talk about a business: a woman who manages to make a career despite having children. And in that despite all the limits of our cultural approach to the question are contained.

Maternity or career. Childcare or work and job satisfaction. No woman should be forced to choose, yet that’s what happens almost systematically. In Italy, but not only. In our country in 2020 they were over 37 thousand new working mothers who have submitted their resignations (source: National Labor Inspectorate) reporting as a recurring reason the impossibility of reconciling work commitments with the care of younger children.

A situation that can no longer be ignored and which has also been discussed in recent days in the context of the W20, the G20 on women. “We must strive to create the right conditions for all women to enjoy a equal access to the labor market “, said the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, who stressed that at the next summit in Rome she could be the only woman in the group of leaders:” There could not be a better reminder than it is still long the road to gender equality “.

And from mother of 7 children and former minister of the Family first and then of Labor in the German government of Angela Merkel, she speaks with full knowledge of the facts. “Too many of us have been told that we had to choose between being a mother and making a career. As a mother of seven and as President of the European Commission, I beg to differ. But I know the obstacles that women face “. It is true that her economic and family conditions have facilitated her in pursuit of her dream, that of doing professional politics out of passion. But there is no doubt that from her position she knows how difficult the daily life of a working mother can be, always struggling with organizational puzzles and the emotional blackmail of society.

“We need parental payments and parental leave for mothers and fathers. We need to offer more and better childcare. We must strengthen care for the elderly ”, added Von der Leyen according to whom“ these policies require a cultural change, but also adequate resources ”.

Authoritative without being authoritarian, firm and decisive, but never over the top, the president of the Commission has always been considered a “super woman”, so much so that she was nicknamed Lara Croft when she was appointed defense minister in 2013.

And this already gives an idea of ​​how much work there is still to be done on the subject of working mothers. When a woman dedicated to work becomes a mother and manages to carry out her career successfully, there is always that basic amazement, that wanting to exalt her deeds. Because basically we talk about a business: a woman who manages to make a career despite having children. And in that despite all the limits of our cultural approach to the question are contained.

Maternity or career. Childcare or work and job satisfaction. No woman should be forced to choose, yet that’s what happens almost systematically. In Italy, but not only. In our country in 2020 they were over 37 thousand new working mothers who have submitted their resignations (source: National Labor Inspectorate) reporting as a recurring reason the impossibility of reconciling work commitments with the care of younger children.

A situation that can no longer be ignored and which has also been discussed in recent days in the context of the W20, the G20 on women. “We must strive to create the right conditions for all women to enjoy a equal access to the labor market “, said the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, who stressed that at the next summit in Rome she could be the only woman in the group of leaders:” There could not be a better reminder than it is still long the road to gender equality “.

And from mother of 7 children and former minister of the Family first and then of Labor in the German government of Angela Merkel, she speaks with full knowledge of the facts. “Too many of us have been told that we had to choose between being a mother and making a career. As a mother of seven and as President of the European Commission, I beg to differ. But I know the obstacles that women face “. It is true that her economic and family conditions have facilitated her in pursuit of her dream, that of doing professional politics out of passion. But there is no doubt that from her position she knows how difficult the daily life of a working mother can be, always struggling with organizational puzzles and the emotional blackmail of society.

“We need parental payments and parental leave for mothers and fathers. We need to offer more and better childcare. We must strengthen care for the elderly ”, added Von der Leyen according to whom“ these policies require a cultural change, but also adequate resources ”.

Authoritative without being authoritarian, firm and decisive, but never over the top, the president of the Commission has always been considered a “super woman”, so much so that she was nicknamed Lara Croft when she was appointed defense minister in 2013.

And this already gives an idea of ​​how much work there is still to be done on the subject of working mothers. When a woman dedicated to work becomes a mother and manages to carry out her career successfully, there is always that basic amazement, that wanting to exalt her deeds. Because basically we talk about a business: a woman who manages to make a career despite having children. And in that despite all the limits of our cultural approach to the question are contained.

Maternity or career. Childcare or work and job satisfaction. No woman should be forced to choose, yet that’s what happens almost systematically. In Italy, but not only. In our country in 2020 they were over 37 thousand new working mothers who have submitted their resignations (source: National Labor Inspectorate) reporting as a recurring reason the impossibility of reconciling work commitments with the care of younger children.

A situation that can no longer be ignored and which has also been discussed in recent days in the context of the W20, the G20 on women. “We must strive to create the right conditions for all women to enjoy a equal access to the labor market “, said the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, who stressed that at the next summit in Rome she could be the only woman in the group of leaders:” There could not be a better reminder than it is still long the road to gender equality “.

And from mother of 7 children and former minister of the Family first and then of Labor in the German government of Angela Merkel, she speaks with full knowledge of the facts. “Too many of us have been told that we had to choose between being a mother and making a career. As a mother of seven and as President of the European Commission, I beg to differ. But I know the obstacles that women face “. It is true that her economic and family conditions have facilitated her in pursuit of her dream, that of doing professional politics out of passion. But there is no doubt that from her position she knows how difficult the daily life of a working mother can be, always struggling with organizational puzzles and the emotional blackmail of society.

“We need parental payments and parental leave for mothers and fathers. We need to offer more and better childcare. We must strengthen care for the elderly ”, added Von der Leyen according to whom“ these policies require a cultural change, but also adequate resources ”.

Authoritative without being authoritarian, firm and decisive, but never over the top, the president of the Commission has always been considered a “super woman”, so much so that she was nicknamed Lara Croft when she was appointed defense minister in 2013.

And this already gives an idea of ​​how much work there is still to be done on the subject of working mothers. When a woman dedicated to work becomes a mother and manages to carry out her career successfully, there is always that basic amazement, that wanting to exalt her deeds. Because basically we talk about a business: a woman who manages to make a career despite having children. And in that despite all the limits of our cultural approach to the question are contained.