The structure of the family is changing in Italy, albeit at a slower rate in the South.
Between 1995 and 2000 the divorce rate soared by 74% and the number of separations by 57%. 200, 000 more people were living alone in Italy in 2000 than in 1995. According to Istat [the Italian Statistics Office] there were 5 million single people living in Italy in 2008, plus 2 million who were divorced, separated or widowed.
Now single people in Italy want their own ministry: this is the idea of Joe Lo Pilato, an agriturismo owner from Avellino, near Naples. Mr Pilato says that single people are discriminated against in every sector of life and especially when it comes to salaries, paying taxes and finding a home or job.
Mr Pilato has formed the “Sindacato dell’amore” or “Love Union” and it already has around 30,000 supporters in the Campania Region alone. The aim of the Union is to help all single people, whether they are alone by choice or not. Mr Lo Pilato has drafted a “Singles Charter” which he will soon present to the country’s political leaders. Among its demands are travel discounts and refuges for single mothers who find themselves in difficulty. Mr Lo Pilato also thinks that the government should help single people to meet others.
Mr Lo Pilato says that the movement had a helpline until recently but it has been closed down through lack of funding. The movement finances itself and is not linked to any political party.
The first “Singles Day” is scheduled to take place in Naples on 24th July.
Do you think there is discrimination against single people in your country?
