March 8 arrives and the same thing happens punctually: flowers, discounts, pink gadgets, aperitifs and bubbles “for women only”, promotions in beauty centers and commercial offers of all kinds. In recent years the script has even broadened: questionable events such as beauty spas dedicated to girls, opportunistic advertising campaigns and shops full of mimosas packaged in cellophane and disposable plastic.
An obvious short circuit: a day created to remember rights, work and social struggles transformed into a consumerist celebration. The result? A “celebration” that often risks being completely emptied of meaning. The problem, in short, is the rest: behind the rhetoric of the “party”, the real issues remain almost intact.
In 2026, in fact, many of the issues concerning gender equality are still far from being resolved. Just look at the topics that come back every year, at the exact moment when we talk about women’s rights. And then? They are always the same, they never change, not even one iota: from insufficient childcare services to the wage gap, from harassment to discrimination at work, from gender violence to little representation in decision-making places to the total absence of emotional and sexual education in schools.
Issues that do not only concern women, but the quality of our society as a whole and which continue to remain in the background while mimosas are distributed.
The issue of parental leave (and the missed opportunity)
One of the most discussed points in recent months is that of equal parental leave, considered by many experts to be a fundamental tool for reducing the gender gap in work. In fact, when the care of children falls almost exclusively on mothers, the consequences are well known:
Precisely for this reason several European countries are strengthening mandatory and well-paid leaves for fathers too. But not Italy! Here, the recent political debate has shown that we are still far behind on this issue: just in recent days, the proposal for equal parental leave was rejected by the majority in the House Budget Committee.
We talked about it here: Equal leave? In Italy it remains a utopia: the measure to equalize the rights of mothers and fathers was rejected in the Chamber
Equal pay
The gender pay gap it’s ancient stuff and we hold on to it! The average difference in pay between men and women in Italy does not depend only on salaries, but also on structural factors:
The result is that women earn less on average and have lower pensions, with effects that last throughout their lives.
Violence and harassment
Alongside economic inequalities, the issue of gender violence remains central. From feminicides to harassment in the workplace, up to domestic violence, the data shows that the phenomenon is anything but marginal.
The associations have long been asking for more structural interventions starting from cultural prevention paths up to emotional education in schools and more effective protection of victims.
Because violence does not arise in a vacuum, but within social models still marked by stereotypes and inequalities.
Representation and decision-making power
Another crucial point concerns the presence of women in the places where decisions are made. Politics, economics, research and institutions still remain areas where female representation is often in the minority. It goes without saying that, without balanced participation, it is truly more complicated to bring policies that affect women’s daily lives to the center of the public agenda.
In the end, the question isn’t whether or not to give a mimosa as a gift. The real question is another: what remains of March 8th when the discounts and advertising campaigns end? Because if in 2026 International Women’s Day continues to be dominated by marketing, gadgets and promotions, the risk is evident: transforming an anniversary created to claim rights into a simple commercial event.
And as long as equal pay, fair leave, childcare and safety remain open issues, perhaps the mimosa – alone – isn’t really enough to celebrate.
