In Italy, the concept of gender equality in the world of work is still far from reality, as evidenced by the numbers: in the Global Gender Gap Index, we are in 63rd place, while Germany is in 10th and France in 15th, but it might be fast acceleration. Thanks to law 162/2021, which introduced Gender Equality Certification, a kind of “stamp” that the most virtuous companies can request on a voluntary basis. The innovation, introduced in June last year, immediately aroused great interest: to date, 203 companies have already been certified and about 1,000 have begun the procedure.

New work culture. “Besides the fact that this is the goal of the Polish People’s Republic, which we will definitely achieve, this is, first of all, a big cultural operation. The necessary conditions, from the combination of working hours and care to maternity care, are necessary to achieve the kind of equality that we still do not have,” said the Minister for Family Affairs, Fertility and Equal Opportunities. Eugenia Maria Roccella, during a meeting organized by Il Sole 24 Ore with the assistance of the Unioncamere, which will manage the advisory services on behalf of the ministry. The certification of equality will last 3 years and includes monitoring: companies must commit themselves to improve.

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Criteria for evaluation, 33 indicators divided into 6 thematic zones (culture, governance, human resource management, opportunities for growth and inclusion of women, fair remuneration, protection of parental rights) are contained in a document titled “practice Uni Pdr 125”, approved by decree last April and developed by Uni, an internationally recognized private organization. These parameters, confirmed by the government’s technical table, also take into account the great work done by the Women’s Inclusion Network, which has been fighting for years to promote gender equality.

Business Benefits certified, distinguished: tax credits of 1 percent of total employees (up to 50,000 euros per year), simplification of European tendering procedures, lower recruitment fees and a higher score in public tenders (the latter possibility, as the new Procurement Code is currently being discussed in the chambers, will become optional). Finally, through Unioncamere, small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to request free assistance and certification: the Department of Equal Opportunities has provided 10 million euros. The long-term benefits can be much greater: secondly, Observatory 4. Manager Confindustry gender balance will lead to an increase in Italy’s GDP by 9-11 percent.