27.06.2024 – 11.15 – La gender equalityeven if it contributes to improving the company’s image and brand and is encouraged by incentives and benefits, it remains a distant goal and, to achieve it, a shared commitment is needed by institutions, social partners and businesses.
This is the underlying theme of the meeting on the topic “Gender equality certification: benefits and opportunities for businesses”organized by the Trieste Confcommercio to raise awareness among economic operators on the topic.
The meeting was opened by the president of the trade association, Antonio Paolettiwho briefly recalled the importance of the female component in terms of employment. “Although the situation in FVG is better than elsewhere – he explained – the latest Istat findings still highlight the persistence of a wide gap in the female employment rate compared to the male one (62.1 against 75.4%, -13.3%). However, if we broaden the focus to the rest of the country, in terms of women’s participation in the workplace – continued the president of Confcommercio – we can find an even wider gap (69.8% against 52.3%, -17.5%), quite distant from the European average (59.6%) and, above all, from that of numerous competitors in the Old Continent, for example Germany (65%)”. A gap, in comparison with the EU, which, if filled, according to some estimates, would guarantee 2.3 million more employed people, with consequent exponential effects also on GDP dynamics.
Moreover, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023L’Italy occupies the 79th place of the ranking out of 146 countries analyzed, with a loss of 16 positions on 2022.
“It should also be underlined that the gender gap – Paoletti then resumed – is at least partially stemmed precisely thanks to the tertiary market, a sector which absorbs over 70% of the total female employees, a trend also reiterated by Friuli Venezia Giulia where, in the sector, the incidence of employed women is 52.9%, the absolute highest percentage in the country.
The achievement of gender equality – concluded the president of Confcommercio – therefore requires a new, broad-spectrum and inclusive vision, with legislative, contractual and also welfare interventions to facilitate the conciliation between work and private life, an element , the latter, which could contribute to slowing down the demographic decline which is one of the most marked critical issues in our country”.
Following, Rita Salusinszky And Antonella Martelossiprovided an overview of the contents of the standard UNI/Pdr 125:2022 which defines the guidelines on the Management System for gender equality, whose voluntary certification, to date achieved in Italy by approximately 2,300 companies, is aimed at ensuring a policy of gender equality and the creation of more inclusive and less discriminatory working environments.
This practice, in particular, encourages the adoption of company policies aimed at reducing gender disparity in all areas considered most at risk of inequalities such as career opportunities, equal pay for the performance of equal tasks carried out by male colleagues and the protection of maternity.
Roberto Visintinhead of the Payroll Area of Confcommercio, then illustrated the advantages that companies intending to achieve gender equality can benefit from.
Benefits represented, in addition to the improvement of the corporate image and competitiveness by virtue of the action of inclusive operating models, also by the reduction, equal to 1% of the social security contributions paid by the employer, by the acquisition of a rewarding element in the context of tenders and the possibility of benefiting from concessions regarding access to contributions and financing. These measures are included as part of a legislative provision, included in the 2023 Budget Law, which can count on a repeatable annual financial allocation of 52 million euros.
Subsequently Natasha MasiResponsible for the Gender Equality Certification of Uniter srl, partner of Confcommercio and body accredited to issue the same, analyzed the effects of the UNI/Pdr 125:2022 standard on organizations and businesses, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the itself and on the peculiarities of the various indicators which precisely quantify the “virtuosity” of the company.
The meeting concluded with the presentation of the support activities that will be given by the Gender Equality Help Desk activated by Confcommercio which will provide information to companies on the relevant legislative provisions, will evaluate the presence of the requirements, will accompany them in obtaining the relevant certification and will offer assistance for access to the resources allocated to encourage the elimination of the gender gap in the country’s productive fabric.
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