Overcoming and integrating past practice managed by the Department for Equal Opportunities, working in close cooperation with all concerned public and private actors, the introduction of the Reference Practice UNI/PdR 125:2022 is significantly innovative: it provides a set of performance indicators defined as feasible, relevant, comparable, and capable of driving change in corporate gender equality policies.

To this end, six strategic assessment areas are identified: culture and strategy; governance; human resource (Hr) management processes; opportunities for growth and inclusion of women in business; gender pay equity; parental protection and work-life balance.

Each area is marked by percentage weight, for a total of 100, which contributes to the measurement of the organization's current level and future improvement.
This proves a really effective mainstreaming approach in dealing with gender policies and equality at work, especially in business companies.

The Gender Equality Certification System is now a fully operative tool. After the publication of Reference Practice UNI/PdR 125:2022 and its transposition into national law is has become fully active, with the accreditation of the first certification bodies by Accredia, the Italian accreditation body, and then the certification of the first companies.

Currently, there are twelve certified companies (primarily medium and small); however, the accredited certification bodies have more than 50 contracts signed with companies and nearly 200 quotations issued or in process; moreover, some other certification bodies are expected to be accredited by the end of 2022.

The definition of the guidelines for the adoption of specific KPIs related to gender equality was coordinated by the Italian Department for Equal Opportunities through a Technical Table that involved public institutions and various entities representing both the Market and the Civil Society. Accredia is the organization responsible for the accreditation of assessment bodies. SOGEI S.p.A. is the entity appointed to design and implement an information system on gender equality certification.

The Gender Certification targets all companies, including small and medium-sized and micro-firms. The Department of Equal Opportunities has entered into an agreement with Unioncamere (The Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce) for the promotion of the certification among companies and the granting of contributions to small and medium-sized and micro companies for certification using the resources allocated with the NRRP.

Gender equality is an engine of economic growth and development. Since the distribution of talents and skills between men and women is equal, the Certification System is a valuable support in leveraging female talent. Indeed, women's participation in economic life, business, and political decisions lead to a broadening of perspectives essential to drive innovation and performance.  Inclusive companies are more likely to create higher value, also in line with the principles of sustainable development and ESG parameters.

The main objective of the Gender Equality Certification System is to support a process of transformation of business and entrepreneurial culture, welcoming and enhancing the potential of female workers, which too often remains unexpressed. The definition of incentives for virtuous companies represents a significant booster in this transformation process, which first acts on the social and cultural sphere to affect, over time, also the economic and productivity fields.

Companies are key to the successful implementation of the Certification System. The main challenge is the presence of a corporate culture that is still primarily male, resulting in a stereotyped vision of the mechanisms that rule corporate life.

In such a scenario, men are always in charge of the most technical processes or responsible decisions, leaving marginal roles to women and not investing in the technical skills of female workers. Therefore, it is essential to involve and inform the highest number of companies, first of all, by implementing a careful and widespread promotion campaign, especially for smaller companies or those located in the country's most remote areas.

Information is the essential prerequisite for broader adherence to the System. This is associated with the need to implement careful and continuous monitoring to make the Certification System as effective as possible and allow its evolution according to the transformations of the country's business structure.

As above reported, the expectation by the end of 2022 is to reach 100 certified companies. This target is relevant also in terms of indicators’ performance: the company’s ranking is associated with a score, whose achievement or non-achievement is given by the weight of the assessment Indeed a minimum overall summary score of 60% is expected to determine the organization's access to certification. This percentage will prove the success of the company’s performance and, of course, the good functioning of the Certification System.

It is undoubtedly crucial to the successful implementation by Unioncamere and DPO in promoting and spreading the culture of certification and effectively and timely processing of public notices for the distribution of grants to SMEs, the operation of incentive mechanisms (tax relief in the first place) and their implementation by the legislature.

Due to the fact that the certification by accredited certification bodies is valid for three years and is subject to annual monitoring, the system itself is replicable in its proper nature. Moreover, the purpose is to establish a competitive and attractive best practice in the European and international environment so that other countries can replicate the certification system.

The Certification System is primarily based on ad hoc pieces of legislation, to be considered as a key-precondition to frame it properly: Law No. 162 of November 5, 2021 (the so-called Gribaudo Law) and Law No. 234 of December 30, 2021 (Budget Law 2022). Within a legal framework, a clear agenda should be necessary to complete and make the system operational. In this case, the milestones and targets set by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan were the following:

• Entry into force of the gender equality certification system and related incentive mechanisms for enterprises - by the fourth quarter of 2022;
• Obtaining gender equality certification by at least 800 enterprises (including at least 450 small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-enterprises) - by the second quarter of 2026;
• Obtaining gender equality certification by at least 1,000 enterprises supported through technical assistance - by the second quarter of 2026.