Isabella, the Return of Girl Power
"Why do we invest hundreds of millions of euros in university education for women, and then accept that 22.7% of working women have to leave ther jobs within two years of their first pregnancy? Why does it seem normal to us that a new mother has to stay home because the supply of places in day care only meets 20% of the demand? Why do we tolerate that women are a rarity in positions of power, even though many studies indicate that thier presence at the top pays off in economic terms?". These are the questions Isabella Rossi asks herself.
The first-year student in Bocconi's Bachelor of International Economics, Management and Finance program will attempt to find some answers at the G(irls) 20 summit, where she will speak in her role as representative of Italy. The event will precede the official G20 to be held in Moscow June 15-19. The objective is to identify solutions for the economic empowerment of women and submit them to the G20 delegates .
The summit, which is organized by a Canadian ONG, is also an excellent chance for networking by its young (18-20 yrs) participants, all selected on the basis of their leadrship qualities. In past years, such contacts have given rise to joint initiatives like shipping of used books to the United States of Africa, as well as local social efforts in the women's native lands. These are in fact the same 20 as the G20, plus one representative of the African Union.
Isabella's concern is that this iniziative is still largely unknown in Italy ("Even I found out about it practically by chance"), while it is very highly regarded abroad. In fact, she has already been interviewed several times, including once by Forbes magazine ("I still can't believe it").
"The selection process took place online, where I answered a series of questons of a motivational nature. I told them about my previous experiences in leadership roles", among which was founding a chapter of PES (Parliament of European Students). Throughb that undertaking, Isabella was able to visit the UN seat in Vienna and Eu institutions in Strasbourg.
In preparing her presentation on Italy, she decied to proceed on two parallel paths. In addition to the requisite bibliographical research, she spent dozens of hours on the phone interviewing Italian women of all ages. "That's how I discovered that perverse mechanisms can often kick in, so when the children need to be cared for the woman assumes the man will have a better chance at finding work, and stays home without even trying to look."
The enthusiasm she brings to this adventure leads her to compare notes with others. "In particolar, the Brazilian delegate and a classmate of mine from India both assured me the situation in their countries is similar to ours." So solutions are urgently needed on a global scale.