At “Women, Economy & Power” focus on Women and Governance
Marcolin, a company in the eyewear sector, continues its commitment to gender equality and social sustainability. The company has chosen to support the Marisa Bellisario Foundation during the twenty-fourth edition of the seminar “Women, Economy & Power,” held in Rome from October 18 to 19. The event was opened with greetings from Lella Golfo, President of the Foundation, and representatives from institutions including the Minister for Family, Birth Rate, and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, and the President of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca.
Marcolin coordinated the discussion table focused on “Women and Governance,” featuring contributions from Fabrizio Curci and Sabrina Paulon, CEO and Group HR Director of Marcolin, respectively; Lorraine Berton, President of MIDO, ANFAO, and Confindustria Belluno Dolomiti; Maria Criscuolo, President and Founder of Triumph Group International; Stefania Lazzaroni, General Director of the Altagamma Foundation; Elisa Weltert, General Manager for Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Israel at Maserati; Nicolò Calabresi, Partner in Charge of Heidrick & Struggles Italy; Anna Puccio, Managing Director of B Lab Italia; and Roberta Pierantoni, Lead Independent Director of Mediolanum.
The discussion was moderated by Monica D’Ascenzo, a financial journalist, writer, and coordinator of inclusion and diversity initiatives at Sole 24 Ore. Recognizing that the Italian entrepreneurial fabric can play a fundamental role in promoting female empowerment and gender equality in terms of representation, leadership, and pay equity, the participants unanimously proposed mandatory training cycles on Diversity and Inclusion for all companies. The group emphasized the central role of culture in accelerating the reduction of the gender gap in our country, noting that not enough is being done in this area. Alongside the training path, positive outcomes are anticipated from the application of the European directive (CSRD) on mandatory sustainability reporting, recently adopted in our country, which will impose transparency obligations on most Italian companies, listed and otherwise, regarding gender equality policies and the definition of specific improvement targets.
According to the latest Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum, Italy ranks 71st globally regarding gender equality. This position is not commensurate with our country's economic weight on the global stage, highlighting the need for greater efforts to bridge inequalities in various sectors, starting with the labor market. The statistic that most clearly illustrates Italy's delay is the female employment rate, which has barely surpassed 51% according to Istat data. This percentage means that only one in two women in Italy works, compared to a European average of 64.9%. Looking at top positions, female CEOs and presidents remain a rarity. According to Deloitte's study, only 4% of CEOs on the Italian stock exchange are women, and only 6% of CFOs, compared to 7.3% and 16.6% of the European average, respectively. In management roles, women do not reach 25%.
Marcolin, which recently announced its adherence to the United Nations Global Compact, aims to contribute to accelerating change and building a more sustainable future for present and future generations, achieved Gender Equality Certification in early 2024. This recognition, obtained after a rigorous process that began several years ago, underscores the company's ongoing commitment to promoting an inclusive and equitable corporate culture.