Only 57% of Italian mums work - ISTAT

(ANSA) - Rome, November 18 - Only 57% of Italian mothers work outside the home, ISTAT said Monday.
    Italian woman are "heavily penalised with regard to the possibility of reconciling time to devote to work with that to devote to the family," the statistics agency said in a report.
    "The rate of employment of mothers between the ages of 25 and 54 who are taking care of small children or non-self-sufficient relatives is 57%, compared to 89.3% for fathers".
    There is a north-south gap on this, as with many social and economic issues, ISTAT said.
    The employment rate difference between mothers and childless daughters was 16% in the poorer south of Italy.
    This compared to 11% in the centre, and 10% in the even more affluent north.