The representation of women in managerial positions in the major Italian listed companies is 9%, a much lower level than the low European average (15% among the top 613 listed European companies). In this sample, there are no women who hold the position of CEO. Considering a wider sample (316 listed companies), however, there are only 6,5% of female Chairmen and 6,8% of managing directors. The picture of female representation improves slightly if we consider the positions of manager and middle manager: women are in fact respectively 15% and 28% of the total.
This is what emerges from the report "More women in management, more opportunities for the country" edited by the 30% Club and presented on Tuesday afternoon in the Senate by Vice President Linda Lanzillotta during a conference attended by the president of ANIA, Maria Bianca Farina, the president of Ibm Italia, Nicola Ciniero, the managing director of Allianz Global Assistance, Paola Corna Pellegrini, the managing director of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Maurizio Gentile, the president of Msd and Spmsd Italia, Nicoletta Luppi, the vice president of Confindustria Antonella Mansi and the manager of the 30% Club Odile Robotti.
“The benefits of a balanced gender presence in leadership have now been demonstrated – reads the study – and it is certain that the problem does not resolve itself spontaneously (the gender balance improves by around 1% a year). The question therefore is not whether to intervene, but how”. The proposal reported in the document is “to increase female representation without resorting to mandatory quotas (hardly applicable in this area), but rather by adopting voluntary objectives set by the organizations themselves. All this to reach 30% of women by 2020.
In particular, the interventions suggested to companies, illustrated in the document, are divided into three levels: social, organizational and individual. As regards interventions aimed at supporting gender balance in companies, they include: adopting measures (welfare, smart working, parental leave) to support careers, disseminating role models and promoting advertising campaigns which direct women towards sectors and professions with better employment prospects, rigorously apply merit-based criteria for career advancement. The organizational interventions, for which the responsibility of the organizations is greatest, concern the measurement and understanding of women's careers, the elaboration of a strategy and the definition of balancing objectives, the promotion of equal opportunities for genders, the transparent communication of balancing situation and one's own commitment, the offer of training on inclusion, diversity, limits due to gender culture and female empowerment.
“The numbers of female presence in positions directly reporting to the CEO are impressive – explained Linda Lanzillotta, vice president of the Senate – both if we consider the major Italian companies and if we broaden our gaze to listed companies, it is clear that companies are totally governed by an all-male management. This represents a double damage because the absence of a real gender balance negatively affects the quality of governance of the companies themselves and their economic-financial performance. It is necessary to overcome stereotypes and convey to companies the awareness that bringing out women is not just a matter of equality but of valorising resources and economic growth. This is why it is important that women unite in view of this goal, but common efforts must be launched, also involving men, if we want to make a real change".
“What is needed now – underlined Odile Robotti, head of 30% Club Italia – is a position taken by the top levels of organizations and institutions in indicating the increase in the presence of women in leadership as a priority objective to be pursued. The 30% Club, a global non-profit campaign led by people in top positions, serves as an aggregator and catalyst for enlightened leaders who want to accelerate gender balance in leadership.
