What are you doing on Thursday September 22?
Working? Going out for drinks with friends? Making pesto pasta because you spent too much money this month and are counting down the days until pay day?
Well, in Italy, the Ministry of Health wants women to make babies.
Ah, yes, that old chestnut.
After all ladies, the only thing we're good for is procreation. Leave that work malarkey to the men, right? *Bangs head against desk*
This week the Italian Ministry of Healthy launched a campaign for a Fertility Day (yup, it's as bad as it sounds), to urge couples to have sex to counteract the country's declining birthrate and economy.
Scheduled for September 22, the campaign's advert says: 'Fertility is a common good'.
Understandably, the initiative has resulted in a plethora of angry tweets from women around the world using the campaign's hashtag #FertilityDay to criticise its creators.
Despite removing publicity for the campaign off its website, the ludicrous images continue to go viral with messages that read 'Beauty knows no age. Fertility does' and 'Young parents. The best way to be creative'.
Oh, so that's what creative means…
Silly us for thinking creative meant we could use our imagination, hard work, talents and determination to go out into the world without having to think our only purpose in life is to give birth.
But if you think Italy is bad, unfortunately this isn't the first time a country has tried to curb its declining birthrate.
In 2013, a Danish travel company offered gifts to Danes who became pregnant while on holiday due to the country's low birthrate of 10 babies per 1000 residents.
Meanwhile, Russia's president Vladimir Putin attempted to increase the country's birthrate by roping in Boyz II Men to play a gig in Moscow in 2013 to inspire men and women to 'get it on' on Valentine's Day. (Sorry, are we in the 90s? At least make it Frank Ocean, Vlad…)
Sorry Italy but were not impressed.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
