Economy - published on 23 November 2023
Fonte: ufficio stampa Confartigianato Imprese AsoloMontebelluna
The news reports these days are clear: there is still a long way to go towards true gender equality between men and women. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, from 1 January 2023 to 12 November 2023, 285 homicides were recorded, with 102 female victims, 82 of whom were killed in a family/affective environment. This trend does not seem to be diminishing at the moment: compared to 2022, there is an increase both in the number of events, from 274 to 285 (+4%), and of female victims, from 101 to 102 (+1%). This phenomenon also has a direct repercussion in the labour sphere: according to Censis data, female participation in the labour market is just 40% of the total number of employed persons; in absolute terms, therefore, there are 9.768 million working women in Italy.
As an association, Confartigianato Imprese AsoloMontebelluna is particularly sensitive to this issue and, for years, has been promoting projects in favour of women and organising and participating in events that shine the spotlight on this serious problem. One example is the organisation of the conference within the CombinAzioni Festival ‘Do ladies talk about money? Opportunities of gender equality in the world of work’, whose participants include Azzurra Rinaldi, economist and lecturer, and Tiziana Botteon, equality councillor of the Province of Treviso. Furthermore, in 2024 the Association will dedicate its calendar to the figure of women.
However, the association’s main focus is on supporting projects that promote the integration of women into the world of work. One example among many is the support for the Sartoria Sociale ed Artistica (Social and Artistic Tailoring) in Asolo. More than a hundred women have now benefited from the tailoring shop’s activities since it opened its doors in May 2021.
But it doesn’t end there. It was precisely all these activities on the subject and the values that characterise the association that led it to embark on the Gender Equality Certification process last April.
Following the Association’s initial analysis, the necessary activities to implement the management system were planned and started. Certification is only obtained if a score of 60/100 is reached with respect to the different KPIs required by the reference practice, which means that the company does not have to be 100% aligned on all the aspects considered, but must demonstrate that it has taken actions in line with it and is committed to implementing them over time, through the drafting of a strategic improvement plan.
The certification audit took place in July 2023 and ended, to the satisfaction of the entire Association, with the official award of the Gender Equality Certification on 3 August 2023. This first audit will be followed by one next year to verify whether and how the company has developed what was stated in the strategic plan: based on the results, it will be decided whether the Association deserves to maintain the certification obtained.
As an association, we are particularly attentive to the 2030 Agenda Goals, the fifth of which is dedicated to gender equality. The participation of women in economic and political life entails a broadening of perspectives that is essential to push our territory towards real inclusiveness and sustainability, a true gender equality that can trigger virtuous circles for companies, society, and the economy – commented Irene Durighel, Head of Human Resources of Confartigianato Imprese AsoloMontebelluna and of the Certification project.
Fausto Bosa, President of Confartigianato Imprese AsoloMontebelluna – The facts of these days and the Ministry’s data confirm that there is still much to be done in our society: only by bringing about a change at the roots will we achieve real gender equality, which will have a logical consequence within organisations. It will be crucial to be able to overcome stereotypes that are still evident today, work and family prejudices, as well as to eradicate elements of inequality and to bring the principles of gender equality into corporate objectives, processes and actions. This is why we have equipped ourselves with a guideline and tools to enable a cultural evolution as an opportunity for growth in our Association: the Gender Equality Management System.
Today, thanks to this milestone, Confartigianato Imprese AsoloMontebelluna proves to be a positive example in facing the challenges related to gender equality in the workplace and stands authoritatively alongside companies to support them in this evolution.
