The presence of women in the economy? Stop feeling sorry for yourself: steps forward have been made, and they are not few. Even if certainly more remains to be done Luisa Todini, an entrepreneur in an important group such as Salini Impregilo, a former MEP with Forza Italia and then a member of the Rai board of directors until last November, she is not the type who likes to bask in a half-empty glass . At the age of 19 she entered university and since then, her professional life has always been growing. Now that she is almost 49 and, for almost a year, she has been president of the Italian Post Office and the first woman to hold this position, she is the flesh and blood testimony that yes, women can get into the control room, but also of the effort required to achieve the goal. With her, therefore, on the international day of March 8, we talk about women, their growth and the difficulties they encounter in society and businesses in the Italy of the third millennium.
Women and managers, where are we?
“The steps forward, compared to when I started my journey, are many even for those who have not had a lucky life like mine. The most evident change, in cultural approach, is this: thirty years ago excellence was demanded from women. Unlike with men, they were not forgiven for their mistake. Today this discrimination is less perceived and above all we are starting to concretely acquire the fact that the gender mix is the bearer of positive performance in a company, it adds value. Studies and statistics prove it, but it is also entering daily life. And that's no small thing."
Does this also apply at the top level?
“In general, it must be recognized that in recent years, despite the tendency to feel sorry for oneself, there has been an increase in the presence of women in the world of work, even at top levels. Women have entered the workforce not only for reasons of emancipation but also for the need to contribute to the family income, especially during the crisis. Many have fought to grow and improve their role but I think Italy is in step with Europe also for top positions”.
Is it also thanks to the law on women's quotas?
“We have fought a lot, in the five years in which I was a member of the European Parliament, to obtain regulations that support the qualified presence of women in companies: industrial, banking or financial. The first countries to adopt adequate laws were those of Northern Europe but Italy too can now walk with its head held high”.
So the law is served…
“The Golfo-Mosca law on female quotas, approved in 2011, has brought important results: today over 90% of listed companies have at least one woman on their board of directors and, with the latest renewals, we will reach a presence of 28% of women on boards. Having a position on the Board of Directors does not necessarily correspond to having a leadership role but it means watching the company's activity from the dashboard of the car and no longer from the back seat. When I was nominated for the presidency of Poste Italiane – as well as Patrizia Grieco for Enel and Emma Marcegaglia for Eni – someone observed that presidents have no power. It is not true: the presidents direct the boards of directors in which the guidelines are given to the managing directors. But above all, now we can look at companies from above, we are no longer driven. That said, women CEOs in Europe are just 3%. Too few".
Another wall still far from being knocked down is that of the difference in pay between men and women, for equal duties.
"Absolutely. The gender gap is still 16% on an hourly wage basis but rises to 31% on an annual wage basis because the effect of part-time work is discounted. On the other hand, if in an international ceremony such as the awarding of the Oscars, in a democratic country such as the United States, an actress like Patricia Arquette feels obliged to draw everyone's attention to the problem of wage differences and gender discrimination, it means that the problem is serious and heartfelt. It is felt more in emerging countries but it is illusory to think that it does not concern us too: the scope is global, we must all face it together".
You know the world of private enterprise, from which you come, but also that of public enterprise: after Rai, you are now at the top of the Post Office. Differences?
“I grew up in a construction company, Todini founded by my father which later merged into Salini-Impregilo. It is a world, that of construction, with a dominant male attitude. But looking at my other entrepreneurial activities, I also work in other sectors – energy, hotels, agriculture, real estate. Here the female presence is around 20%, even at qualified levels, and I can say that there is no discrimination”.
And in the Post Office, when you walk in the corridors of the upper floors of the EUR building, do you only meet men?
“It didn't take a female president, like me, to say that Poste is a pink company: 53% of the staff are female and so are 58% of post office managers. The company was founded in 1862, in 1865 the first woman entered: we are talking about two centuries ago.
Coming to today, out of five directors with me, there is Elisabetta Fabbri who is also the managing director of the Starhotel group. Out of three members of the board of statutory auditors, two are women. And even among the front-line managers chosen by the CEO, I can say that there is a fair level of female representation.
Finally, the company guarantees 100% of the salary during the five months of maternity leave, therefore over the 80% required by law: we are not forced to do so, allocating resources is a choice of the Board which favors families. So women."
