Report presented on women, work and sport in Italy

ROME – There are 20 million Italians who play sports, but only 43.3% of these are women. This is underlined by the Censis report entitled “Women, work and sport in Italy. For the growth of the territories and the country”, presented at the CONI hall of honor on the occasion of the presentation of the social sustainability project carried out by the Lottomatica Foundation and Fijlkam (Italian Federation Judo Fight Karate Martial Arts). A condition, that of women in sport, which sees the female gender still behind the male one, as underlined by Silvia Salis, deputy vice president of Coni; a condition that can be changed through the world of sport, considered “the only real social lift in this country because it is based on merit. If I hadn’t had sport, I would not have been able to realize the dreams I had; sport can be an engine that allows women to change the condition of their lives. Associating female independence with sporting practice is a virtuous path. Sport must become a right that makes this country gain not only in terms of development but also in social terms”. The study shows that women who play sports are not only better physically and mentally, but are also better integrated into society: they work, study, earn more than those who don’t exercise, and are more modern, as they adhere to styles of life and more evolved and sustainable models of behaviour. Sportswomen have higher educational qualifications than those who lead a sedentary life: 26.9% are university graduates and 36.5% have a high school diploma, against, respectively, 9.7% of university graduates and 27.3% of high school graduates who do not play sports. The woman who does motor activity not only studies more, but also works more. Among the over fifteen year olds who play sports, 49.8% are employed, 17.6% are students and 13.4% are housewives. Among those who do not play sports, housewives prevail, who are 34.3% of the total, followed by retired (24.2%) and employed (24.2% of the total), while female students are only 4.6%. The share of practitioners is equal to 36.3% of the total number of women over three years old in the North-East, 34% in the North-West, 31.9% in the Center and falls to 19.7% in the South and in the Islands. The “Fight like a girl” project signed by the Lottomatica Foundation and Fijlkam aims to encourage the diffusion of female sports practice in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country, especially in Southern Italy. “We are very happy with this agreement between the Lottomatica Foundation and Fijlkam: the commitment to sport and gender equality characterizes all the activities and identity of Lottomatica, of whose social commitment our Foundation is a social expression. In this sense, the Censis Report offers the information and contextual analyzes useful for understanding where we are and what to do to break down any form of barrier. We must guarantee maximum equality also in sport which represents a precious tool for empowerment and emancipation” he declared Guglielmo Angelozzi, managing director of Lottomatica. Domenico Falcone, President of Fijlkam underlined that: “In Italy 75% of those who practice combat sports are male, but this has not prevented the remaining 25% from making their way through successes. In the last edition of the Olympic Games , in Tokyo, 3 of the 5 medals won by Fijlkam athletes came from women. There are no men’s or women’s sports. There is sport and anyone can play it”. Riccardo Capecchi, President of the Lottomatica Foundation, explained: “With this project, the Lottomatica Foundation aims to make a concrete contribution to the diffusion of women’s sport in some of the Italian areas with less social integration. We need to fight the gender stereotypes and prejudices that are still rooted in our society: women can excel in any field, even in traditionally male sports. This will make them more aware of their bodies and their abilities, also promoting their independence”. Anna Italia, Censis research manager, declared that “Sport is a vehicle of well-being, inclusion and modernity. The data show that sportswomen work more and better than those who do not play sports, they are better off with themselves and with others and they adopt more modern and sustainable lifestyles. And in the territories where there are more women who play sports, there is also more work and greater development”. – Italcommunications photo – . spf/gm/red 07-Jun-23 20:51