A new study by the Ministry of Economy on the gender wage gap stated that Italian women’s wages are nearly 60% lower than men’s. The Economy Undersecretary Cecilia Guerra stated that women’s average income is 59.5% of men’s total income. 

She said the difference is mainly due to “gender expertise in paid and unpaid work, in which case women more often accept lower pay in exchange for advantages in flexibility and working hours.” 

But Guerra said that there is also full-scale discrimination against women in the labor market. Speaking at a joint meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Commons and the Senate, Guerra affirmed that the report provides conclusive evidence of gender income inequality. For a long time, Italy has been plagued by a huge gender wage gap.