Pope Francis lamented that in the world of work “there is a prior rejection of women, for fear that they will become pregnant”, and encouraged to fight against this mentality.
These words were pronounced by Pope Francis in the meeting he held on March 9 with the directors and staff of the National Institute of Insurance against Work Accidents (INAIL), whom he thanked for their work in protecting the dignity of people.
When addressing the members of the entity, the Holy Father regretted that workers are not always protected, since “often the worst part of an accident falls on the shoulders of the family.”
In addition, he stressed that in recent months the number of cases of female accidents has also increased, “which reminds us that full protection of women in the workplace has not yet been achieved .”
“And in this also, I allow myself to say, there is a previous rejection of women, for fear that they will become pregnant; she is less ‘safe’ a woman because she can get pregnant. This is thought about when hiring her: when she starts to ‘get fat’, if she can lay down, it’s better. This is the mentality and we must fight against it”, argued the Holy Father.
“Without protection – added the Pope – society becomes more and more a slave to the throwaway culture . He ends up giving in to the utilitarian vision of the person, instead of recognizing his dignity”.
Along these lines, the Pontiff explained that “the logic that propagates discarding is summed up in the phrase ‘You are worth it if you produce’. Thus, only those who manage to stay in the gear of the activity count, and the victims are discarded, considered a burden and entrusted to the good heart of the families”.
“Among the consequences of not investing in safety at work is the increase in accidents. Faced with this mentality, we must remember that life is priceless. A person’s health cannot be changed by a few extra pounds or by someone’s individual interest,” Pope Francis said.
He also indicated that “one aspect of the throwaway culture is the tendency to blame the victims. It is a sign of human poverty in which we risk letting relationships fall if we lose the correct hierarchy of values, which has the dignity of the human person at the top ”.
For the Holy Father, “caring for the quality of work, as well as places and transportation, is essential if we want to promote the centrality of the person; when work is degraded, democracy is impoverished and social ties are loosened.
He also stressed that the ” clear separation of family and work environments has had negative consequences not only for the family, but also for the work culture.”
“It has reinforced the idea that the family is the place of consumption and the company the place of production. He has made people believe that care is an exclusive family matter and that it has nothing to do with work, ” explained the Pope.