A municipal plan for gender A municipal plan for gender equality: equality:

The case of the City of The case of the City of NaplesNaples

Mita Marra, PhDMita Marra, PhDCNR – University of SalernoCNR – University of Salerno

ItalyItaly

BackgroundBackground Underlying rationaleUnderlying rationale PrinciplesPrinciples Strategy of interventionStrategy of intervention Strenghts & weaknessesStrenghts & weaknesses Issues of governanceIssues of governance What’s next?What’s next?

BackgroundBackground

Very low female participation rate to Very low female participation rate to labor market (not even reaching 30 labor market (not even reaching 30 percent)percent)

Decreasing fertility rateDecreasing fertility rate Increasing poverty among womenIncreasing poverty among women Emerging new socio-economic risks (low Emerging new socio-economic risks (low

education, low professional qualification, education, low professional qualification, low-paid jobs, lone parent families, aging) low-paid jobs, lone parent families, aging) with intergenerational implicationswith intergenerational implications

BackgroundBackground Mayor is a very actively engaged Mayor is a very actively engaged

woman (mother and grandmother), a woman (mother and grandmother), a seasoned politicianseasoned politician

Network of women, who have Network of women, who have actively involved within social actively involved within social movements during the ’68 and have movements during the ’68 and have promoted affermative actions and promoted affermative actions and social services over the ’80 and ’90 social services over the ’80 and ’90

Underlying rationaleUnderlying rationale The plan is part of an economic and The plan is part of an economic and

social cohesion effort social cohesion effort • At the regional level through EU Structural At the regional level through EU Structural

Fund programming for 2007-2013Fund programming for 2007-2013• At the national level through integrated At the national level through integrated

actions undertaken by the Equal actions undertaken by the Equal opportunities and human rights Ministryopportunities and human rights Ministry

• At the European level within the Road Map At the European level within the Road Map for Equality between men and womenfor Equality between men and women

Underlying rationaleUnderlying rationale The municipal plan for gender equality The municipal plan for gender equality

creatively specifies with initiatives and creatively specifies with initiatives and projects those more general axes of projects those more general axes of intervention defined within the Regional intervention defined within the Regional Operational ProgramOperational Program

This reinforces political committment, This reinforces political committment, administrative support, and allows for administrative support, and allows for reciprocal monitoring and learningreciprocal monitoring and learning

PrinciplesPrinciples Participation: Participation:

• Held forum with different stakeholders to assess needs Held forum with different stakeholders to assess needs and contribute to programmingand contribute to programming

Continuity:Continuity:• Built upon previously enacted initiatives especially for Built upon previously enacted initiatives especially for

social servicessocial services DecentralizationDecentralization

• Relying on social services and political representation Relying on social services and political representation delegated at the ndelegated at the neighborhood leveleighborhood level

Institutional cooperationInstitutional cooperation• Close programming with the regional governmentClose programming with the regional government

PartnershipPartnership• Involvement of third sector for service deliveryInvolvement of third sector for service delivery

Strategy of interventionStrategy of intervention1.1. Genders & generations:Genders & generations:

• trasfer culture of difference, raise awareness of trasfer culture of difference, raise awareness of identity among the youth, promote cultural identities identity among the youth, promote cultural identities and dialogueand dialogue

2.2. Ethical relationships among genders & policies Ethical relationships among genders & policies against violence:against violence:

• Educate to emotions and sentiments, deconstruct Educate to emotions and sentiments, deconstruct machist culture, stereotypes and build a neutral machist culture, stereotypes and build a neutral languagelanguage

3.3. Employability & careEmployability & care• Improve employability, promote new and old Improve employability, promote new and old

compentences and skills among women, reinforce compentences and skills among women, reinforce work-life reconciliation, self-help and support work-life reconciliation, self-help and support modalities for families and individualsmodalities for families and individuals

Strategy of interventionStrategy of intervention4. Creativity & entrepreneurship:4. Creativity & entrepreneurship: promote creativity and entrepreneurship promote creativity and entrepreneurship

among female networks, micro-credit and among female networks, micro-credit and competitiveness of female entrepreneurscompetitiveness of female entrepreneurs

5. Urban ri-generation & safety:5. Urban ri-generation & safety: Favor access to key urban sites, improve spaces, Favor access to key urban sites, improve spaces,

which are downgraded, guarantee safety and which are downgraded, guarantee safety and security for womensecurity for women

6. Governance & government6. Governance & government Promote formal and informal networking, Promote formal and informal networking,

institutional infrastructure for gender equality, institutional infrastructure for gender equality, monitor implementation of gender monitor implementation of gender mainstreaming policies, favor political mainstreaming policies, favor political representationrepresentation

Actions and projectsActions and projects Institute for the cultural differenceInstitute for the cultural difference Lab for ethics of sentiments and language Lab for ethics of sentiments and language

analysisanalysis Center against violence, receiving victimes Center against violence, receiving victimes

and supporting familiesand supporting families Skills training for job searchSkills training for job search Child care and kindergartens Child care and kindergartens Incubators for entrepreneurship, artisanal Incubators for entrepreneurship, artisanal

consortia and expositionsconsortia and expositions Social mediation and friendly city project Social mediation and friendly city project

Strenghts Strenghts Women are increasing job search across Women are increasing job search across

traditionally male-dominated sectorstraditionally male-dominated sectors Increasing female university enrollment and Increasing female university enrollment and

graduationgraduation Higher education achievement among young Higher education achievement among young

womenwomen Increasing self-employment and Increasing self-employment and

entrepreneurish among womenentrepreneurish among women Increasing participation in cultural Increasing participation in cultural

associationsassociations

StrengthsStrengths Very little budget yet increasing focus on Very little budget yet increasing focus on

tapping complementarities among tapping complementarities among services, projects, and networks already services, projects, and networks already existing in the territoryexisting in the territory

• Taking advantage of the integrated Taking advantage of the integrated approachapproach

• Directing regional funds towards municipal Directing regional funds towards municipal needs and prioritiesneeds and priorities

• Developing synergies and produce Developing synergies and produce monetary and non monetary externalitiesmonetary and non monetary externalities

WeaknessesWeaknesses Weak need assessment and monitoring Weak need assessment and monitoring

systems especially of latent needssystems especially of latent needs Increasing irregular workIncreasing irregular work Increasing discouraged female workersIncreasing discouraged female workers Increasing irregular immigrant womenIncreasing irregular immigrant women Persistent asymmetries of power Persistent asymmetries of power

between gendersbetween genders Gendered perceived rolesGendered perceived roles

Governance issuesGovernance issues Limits in formal delegations at the Limits in formal delegations at the

municipal level:municipal level:• Irregular workIrregular work• Irregular firmsIrregular firms• Availability of productive locationsAvailability of productive locations

What’s next?What’s next? This plan is considered to be the first This plan is considered to be the first

necessary step toward gender necessary step toward gender budgetingbudgeting

This is considered first an attempt to This is considered first an attempt to create and disseminate a gender create and disseminate a gender friendly culturefriendly culture

This is considered the first proof to test This is considered the first proof to test political committmentpolitical committment

This is the first step for getting the This is the first step for getting the bureaucratic machine in actionbureaucratic machine in action