Abstract

The Family Act, recently approved by the Italian Parliament, represents an important novelty in the Italian welfare landscape: improves paternity, maternity and parental leaves; supports parents in the cost of child care services, of sport and cultural activities; incentivizes smart working and flexitime; supports house autonomy of young couples. After decades of fragmented and residual supports to both financial and care family responsibilities, creating and reinforcing a familism by default welfare model, policies that de-familialise and de-genderise are welcome. Yet, if fertility together with gender equality want to be increased, time for «reproductive work» should become a pillar of citizenship rights, valorised and paid as time for «productive work», both for women and men, and regardless the family form.