Italian government faces huge backlash over 'sexist' #FertilityDay campaign

Backlash: the campaign has been criticised on social media
FertilityDay2016.it
Hannah Al-Othman2 September 2016

An advertising campaign by the Italian government encouraging women to have children has been slammed as "sexist" and "offensive".

The country's newly-launched "Fertility Day" will be held on September 22, with the aim of tackling Italy's low birth rate.

Italy's health minister Beatrice Lorenzin recently launched the campaign, and announced that state-sponsored events would be held in Rome, Bologna, Catania and Padova to offer the public information about family planning and encourage parenthood.

To coincide with the events, the government launched a website, which included an online game, and #FertilityDay poster campaign, with 12 promotional images carrying slogans including "Fertility is a common good", and "Beauty has no age. Fertility does.”

The country has a falling birth rate, and a fertility rate of 1.35 children per woman, far below the EU rate of 1.6 children per woman.

However, the campaign has sparked a huge backlash on social media, resulting in most of the content for the Fertility Day website being taken down.

One Italian Twitter user wrote: "This campaign is absolutely ridiculous and sexist, a woman's bomb IS NOT a national property.

"My country got back to the 20s, I'm so disgusted."

Alexandra Lawrence, who lives in Florence, also tweeted, saying: "I am beside myself...and offended and disgusted and incredulous."

While another Twitter user said: "#Fertilityday is pure fascist renewal. Pushing women to have a family ASAP and saying a woman's uterus is A COMMON GOOD?

"I'm so disgusted."

And another tweeted: "The #Fertilityday campaign is offensive, sexist and dangerous. I'm ashamed and embarrassed."

The Italian government, which also offers financial incentives for parenthood, said the purpose of the campaign was to remind citizens of the danger of falling birthrates.

It also wanted to show the “beauty” of parenthood, illnesses that could hinder conception and the availability of fertility treatments.

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