Everyday is Men's Day

Today is another rainy day in Florence. I may go into town this afternoon to look for a cute umbrella and rain boots, if the rain lets up long enough for me to do so. As long as I'm going to be out in the rain, I might as well do it the Italian way: in style. Other than that, I don't really foresee anything else happening today other than a bit of homework and perhaps running, so I'm going to blog about something that's been on my mind for a while, the rights of women in Italy.

Italy is an industrious, developed nation, so many Americans may assume that in their culture men and women would have mostly equal opportunities, like in America. I say mostly because I know that not everything is perfectly equal in America, but that is another issue for another time. Since being here I have noticed that Italian women have a high dependency on men, and they do not enjoy as many of the same privileges as men. I have yet to see an Italian woman running or biking, whereas I see many men enjoying these activities. When I was skiing, there were many more men than women on the slopes, and the few women who were there came with groups of men. There are times that I feel that Italian women look at us American women disapprovingly when we are seen exercising or doing things on our own. I have also discussed hunting with a front desk attendant at my hotel, Simone, who lives in the country and enjoys hunting for wild boars and pheasants. When I told him that I hunt, he thought that was just crazy. In Italy a woman would never go hunting, as it is strictly a man's sport here.

To attempt take this observation beyond the level of sports, I did look into prime minister Berlusconi's council, and I was glad to see that several women serve as ministers on his council. I can't really comment on the fact that men hold the great majority, because the same is true in America, with women having only three of the 15 seats on Obama's newly appointed cabinet. It seems that women have equal opportunity to go to university here, as they do in the U.S., and it also seems that women are equally eligible for professional careers. However, it may be the uneducated women who experience more effects of societal inequality, as it is a proven fact that the unemployment rates, which are currently high in Italy, are highest among women and young people.

Perhaps I am making a mountain out of a mole hill, but it is certain that something in the way women are treated here is different that in the U.S. Whether it is a good, bad, or neutral phenomenon, I do not know. Personally, I am thankful to be an American because some of the activities that I enjoy doing most are things that are frowned upon for women to do in Italian society. Meanwhile, while trying to maintain a low profile, I will continue to be the independent American woman that I am regardless to whether the women scoff at me and the men stare at me.

What I am really looking forward to is Women's Day on March 8, which is a holiday for all European nations to show appreciation to their women. When Bob was telling us about this holiday someone asked if their was a Men's Day too, and he replied by saying, "Everyday is Men's Day in Italy." That pretty much says in a few words what I've been trying to say in all of these paragraphs.