Children, parents, and grandparents need to prioritize school, which is why we, as CGIL, CISL, and UIL, have made some urgent requests to the Provincial President and the Mayors.
It's crucial to restart educational and recreational activities for children immediately, taking advantage of the summer months, which allow for socializing outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is also essential that this be possible across all areas of our province, to ensure equal access to services and, therefore, education and growth for all the girls and boys in our area: schools, activities such as those offered at summer camps, places of welcome, integration, and mutual exchange, where all differences coexist and are valued without predetermining unequal citizens.
During the lockdown, the digital divide has accentuated inequalities and exacerbated educational poverty, with dire repercussions for all minors, particularly those with disabilities or special educational needs. This is why we are calling for attention to cost-effectiveness for services, as it is crucial during this time that everyone be guaranteed access to these services, repaying the long-standing debt of education and socialization.
The resumption of in-person educational, training, and instructional activities is urgently needed, as the right to education, recognized by our Constitution as a fundamental right for the development of individuals in conditions of equality and freedom, for the formation of tomorrow's citizens, must be guaranteed. During the lockdown, distance learning had significant repercussions on families: while many women were able to perform essential activities (largely female-dominated occupations) under difficult conditions, many other women found themselves forced to work from home for months, while also taking on the responsibility of caring for their children. During the quarantine, the chronic imbalance in caregiving responsibilities worsened, along with domestic violence, further worsening gender equality. This is why it is now more essential than ever to safeguard and promote female employment. Even before Covid-19, our country already had the lowest female employment rate in Europe, and with a recession looming, we cannot afford to see this figure worsen further: all indicators show that having more women in the workforce translates into greater growth for the country.
It is urgent to restore women's employment opportunities to prevent worsening inequality and social segregation by further investing in and strengthening public policies in welfare and work-life balance.
As the CGIL, CISL, and UIL unions, we believe it is urgent to plan for the future of our community. Responsibility, timeliness, and cohesion are needed to ensure the best possible return to school in September, with in-person classes. We need to start now: institutions have a great responsibility, and social partners can and want to contribute.
CGIL Cristiano Zagatti
CISL Bruna Barberis
UIL Massimo Zanirato
