What to do to make Italy more competitive in the relationship between women and STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). How can companies and institutions collaborate to achieve this goal? What are the main obstacles to overcome? These are the topics discussed this morning at the headquarters of the Civita Association in Piazza Venezia during the new appointment of the cycle “When sustainability meets…” entitled “Social inclusion: women and STEM” to create opportunities for discussion on practices of sustainability undertaken by companies.
The topic is very current, in fact in Italy although the number of STEM graduates has increased over time, it continues to be far lower than that of graduates in the same disciplines, and women working in this field remain few: 8 Out of 10 leadership roles are still held by men. A greater presence of women in STEM disciplines is now a necessary and essential requirement not only for the issue of gender equity, but also for the achievement of a more inclusive society that guarantees social, economic and technological progress. During the meeting, we discussed what new measures the institutions intend to adopt to concretely promote social inclusion linked to a greater presence of women in the STEM field and how companies can contribute to making professions attractive to young people. in the technical-scientific field. In fact, the participants in the meeting agreed on the need for a synergistic effort between the world of institutions and the world of business. Education, information and awareness are the starting points of a path that aims to achieve fair gender representation in these sectors.
After the greetings of Simonetta Giordani, General Secretary of the Civita Association, the following spoke at the meeting, moderated by Claudia Conte, journalist and TV presenter: Giuseppe Gola, CEO of Open Fiber – Nicola Maccanico, CEO of Cinecittà – Federico Mollicone – President of the Permanent Commission VII Culture and Science and Education, Chamber of Deputies – Elisabetta Romano EVP Chief Network Operations and Wholesale Officer TIM SpA – Eleonora Santi, Director of External Relations and Communications Philip Morris Italy – Marta Schifone President Intergroup STEM Chamber of Deputies.
Simonetta Giordani, General Secretary of the Civita Association: «Unfortunately, all the data converge to paint an unsatisfactory picture, despite some improvements, regarding the relationship between women and STEM careers in Italy but it is from events like today’s, which compare companies and institutions, that we must start to change the scenery. Collaboration between public and private in terms of culture, training, orientation, meeting between job supply and demand is in fact fundamental to ensuring that STEM careers are increasingly pink. Great challenges such as the one brought by artificial intelligence need the contribution of women to be overcome».
Federico Mollicone, President of the Science and Research Commission of the Chamber: «The study of STEM subjects has the role of giving an answer to the fourth revolution, the digital one, that the world today is experiencing. Only by eliminating the social obstacles to accessing these subjects can Italy play a primary role. Today’s initiative by Civita is very important because statistics tell us that only 16.5% of women enroll in scientific faculties. With my colleague Schifone, we worked in the Science and Research Commission on an awareness-raising operation on these disciplines with the establishment of a dedicated week. Our goal is sustainable technological development without social obstacles».
Marta Schifone, President of the STEM Intergroup of the Chamber of Deputies: «We are in the era of mechatronics and digital which some have called the fourth industrial revolution and in which the stem disciplines are those with the greatest load of opportunities both from a professional and salary point of view. Unfortunately, however, this area is also the least chosen and least known by our young people and it is on this aspect that we need to work. The STEM week last February is a concrete action that we have undertaken in this sense in which different institutions, companies and the world of school have managed to work together to change a narrative that sees the STEM world as distant from young Italians in general and from girls in particular».
Eleonora Santi, Director of External Relations and Communications Philip Morris Italy: «We are living in years in which innovation and progress, in every sector, accelerate at an impressive speed. To grasp this transformation, it is essential, today more than ever, to promote transversal access to STEM disciplines and careers, especially for women. Eurostat data, in fact, tell us that there is still a long way to go on this front: in Italy in 2022, women were just 16% among ICT specialists; men 84%. It is therefore necessary for all the actors involved, public and private, to join forces and proceed towards a common objective: to break down the stereotype, unfortunately still current, which sees the sectors linked to STEM disciplines as the almost exclusive prerogative of men, since the challenges great transformations can only be won if everyone plays a leading role. For this reason we launched the second edition of the Hackathon Women Shape the Future, an initiative aimed at STEM students from universities in Southern Italy aimed at promoting gender equality and inclusion as drivers of innovation».
Giuseppe Gola, CEO Open Fiber: «Technology and digital, now an integral part of our lives, promote and drive growth. STEM skills are the basis of the jobs of the future and women are an essential resource for society and companies in this field. At Open Fiber we are aware of this and feel responsible in helping to overcome the gender gap that still exists today in Italy and Europe. Although telecommunications is a traditionally male-dominated sector, we enhance female professionalism with targeted development, welfare and parenting support interventions, trying to create an inclusive work environment that is attentive to diversity».
Nicola Maccanico, CEO of Cinecittà: «The trend is improving but unfortunately, even in the audiovisual world, there are predominantly male areas and other more female ones, as also happens in society. In relation to STEM disciplines, in our sector we are witnessing the birth of a series of new professions deriving from the most modern technologies that combine the engineering element with the creative one and in which women can certainly be protagonists. At Cinecittà in the world of sound engineering the young talents are all female and I hope that this figure is consolidated because women can bring important added value and in general give much more than they take».
Elisabetta Romano EVP Chief Network Operations and Wholesale Officer TIM SpA: «In 2023, TIM was the first telco in the world in the ranking of companies that have stood out for their diversity inclusion policies thanks to their activities on the enhancement and diversity of people. In fact, sustainability and inclusion are not only an ethical value but also a driver of performance for the company, closely correlated with the engagement, development and satisfaction of people – declared Elisabetta Romano, Chief Network Operations and Wholesale Officer of TIM – The diffusion of a culture of equal opportunities is an important driver of competitiveness for TIM. And precisely on these aspects the company has implemented numerous projects that favor STEM study paths, encouraging girls to discover their talent and make their dreams come true by undertaking technical-scientific professions that can help create a better future».
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