National Guidelines in Italy - Ministry of Labour and Social Policy

Government's National Action Plan for Employment 2002

The promotion of female employment and the combating of gender-based discrimination are singled out as priority objectives for the employment services system. These provides women seeking to re-enter the labour market an opportunity to take part in schemes to promote work entry, or training and/or retraining programmes within six months of becoming unemployed.

The plan also provided for reconciliation of work and family responsibilities, and led to new laws on parental leave and a range of family support measures in the 2001 budget (tax relief, paid leave of up to two years for parents of disabled children and increased maternity grants for mothers not receiving a maternity allowance).

Other actions aim to increase female employment and improve its quality, in particular by:

1. directing development policies, particularly in Southern Italy, so as to promote female employment;
2. activating specialized, equal opportunity functions within the employment services;
3. improving the control of gender related effects of the major employment supporting policies.