“Having kids is an asset to the workplace”: The Why Wait Agenda Meets Maam’s founder Riccarda Zezza

The Why Wait Agenda Podcast

“Having kids is an asset to the workplace”: The Why Wait Agenda Meets Maam’s founder Riccarda Zezza
-
In this episode journalist Eleonora Voltolina, founder of The Why Wait Agenda (https://www.thewhywaitagenda.org), explores one of the most common reasons that lead people to pospone the decision of starting a family in Western countries: the fact that being a parent – and especially becoming a mother – is not considered an asset in the workplace.
Voltolina kicks off this episode by quoting the first lines of an article written by Claire Cain Miller for the New York Times in 2014: «One of the worst career moves a woman can make is to have children».
Does this still hold true? And more importantly, is it wise to penalize women at work when they become mothers? Voltolina discusses the topic with Riccarda Zezza, an Italian social entrepreneur whose online learning platform Maam – an acronym for “Maternity As A Master” – offers a new perspective on having children while working. Zezza sheds light on how maternity and paternity act as moments of learning, the benefits of which should be treasured by employers, rather than denigrated or ignored.
Riccarda Zezza and Eleonora Voltolina are both Ashoka fellows. Ashoka is a worldwide organization that supports social entrepreneurs and changemakers who take action to achieve positive social transformation.
A heartfelt thanks to Matthieu Mantanus for the amazing theme song, especially written for The Why Wait Agenda podcast!