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Italian women who reject abortion could soon receive income support from the state.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is promoting a “maternity income” bill that proposes aid of 1,000 euros (about NZ$1,800) for five years to Italian women who reject abortion.
Meloni (pictured) says payments would target women who could not otherwise cope financially with their pregnancy or their child’s needs in the early years.
The bill is scheduled to be introduced next week.
Goal – to reduce abortion
Abortion was legalised in Italy in 1978 under Law 194.
Senator Maurizio Gasparri says his bill aims to reduce abortions motivated by the financial hardships of pregnant mothers, based on Article 5 of Italy’s Law 194.
He says his bill offers “not only moral but also financial support” for pregnant women who are struggling financially..
“Let’s defend life!”
While Meloni has pledged not to change Italy’s abortion law, she says her pro-life measures aim to “guarantee women the possibility of choosing an alternative, offering an active role by public institutions in order to remove the financial causes that can push a woman to abort”.
In April this year she approved a package of measures to curb abortion.
Among these measures, the Italian Parliament allowed volunteers from pro-life associations access to abortion centres.
The volunteers guarantee assistance to mothers who wish to abort their unborn children.
What’s on offer
Mothers who wish to apply for the support must have an Indicator of Equivalent Economic Situation (ISEE) of less than 15,000 euros (about NZ$28,000).
They must also be Italian citizens and reside in Italy.
In addition to the sums allocated for the first pregnancy and the child’s first five years, the bill provides for an increase of 50 euros (about NZ$90) per month starting with the second child.
The bill also proposes an additional 100 euros (about NZ$180) up to the age of 18 in the event that the child has a disability.
Finance for the proposed income support would come from a maternity income fund. Meloni says that from this year the fund would receive 600 million euros annually.
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