Women account for 65% of Romagnoli F.lli’s total workforce
On 8th March, the whole world celebrates International Women’s Day. It is a chance to remember the importance of the fight for women’s rights, in particular their empowerment, and to celebrate the progress achieved so far in the fields of economics, politics and culture. This annual event was established in the United States on 28 February 1909.
From that day on, big steps were taken towards recognising women’s rights at work. To date, a growing number of women have managed to break down barriers and take on management roles: in Italy, the number of women in managerial positions has increased by 8.1% over the past year, having doubled since 2008, showing a positive change in the representation of women in decision-making and leadership roles at private companies (Source: Report Donne, Manageritalia). Nevertheless, the gender gap is still a big problem at businesses and is often aggravated by cases of discrimination and psychological abuse. A recent survey conducted by Fondazione Libellula across a sample of about 11,000 Italian women over 18 and in work showed that 40% of women had experienced unwanted physical contact at the workplace, while 27% of female workers had experienced sexual behaviour or requests.
Despite having the same skills and responsibilities, women are still on average paid less than their male colleagues and this gap is greater in the private sector than the public one. This wage gap stands at 11% for employees and increases to 13% for managers. While a male employee earns €10 an hour, a female colleague earns €8.9 on average. Even though it may seem a minimal difference, over the year, this discrepancy equates to a major gap: €7,922, with a man’s annual salary of €26,227 and a woman’s of €18,305 (Source: La Repubblica).
For Romagnoli F.lli, its focus on people comes to the fore every day in creating a safe, healthy working environment, where everyone can develop and improve their skills and abilities and is paid according to a merit-based policy. Gender equality has to be an essential aspect of every company’s broader social responsibility. For this company from Bologna, it is a fundamental pillar of its culture of sustainability. This is why it is one of the leading Italian fruit and vegetable companies to have obtained UNI/PdR 125:2022 Gender Equality certification. As of 31 December 2022, women accounted for 65% of its total workforce (63% in 2021).
Its gender equality policy is a key part of Romagnoli F.lli’s corporate culture and is aimed at all its main stakeholders, including its employees, contractors, suppliers and customers, in the firm belief that it represents an essential tool for growth, and in the hope that it can be increasingly rolled out in all areas and regions.
Image: Romagnoli F.lli