Parità di genere: è il momento di accelerare per andare più lontano?

3 Tempo di lettura 4 mar 2021
Da Julie Linn Teigland

EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner and EY Global Leader – Women. Fast forward

Passionate about the transformational power of digitalization and innovation and its potential to deliver sustainable, inclusive growth for clients. Prominent voice of the Women20 global agenda.

3 Tempo di lettura 4 mar 2021
Related topics Forza lavoro

Gender equality is part of the solution to many of the world’s most complex issues.

Every year, EY teams observe International Women’s Day to recognize the incredible contribution of women to our world. Yet our commitment runs much deeper than that. Implicit within our purpose of Building a Better Working World is ensuring women are included in decision making at all levels of society, business and public policy. And despite a year in which efforts to promote gender equality may appear to have been set aside to respond to the enormity of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession, the truth is we’re more committed than ever.

That’s because the impact of pandemic-induced shutdowns has not been shared. Across the world, more women are out of work compared with men. The types of jobs and sectors impacted the most are predominantly held by women. The gender wage gap has been exacerbated, widening the retirement or pension gap and increasing the number of women and girls in extreme poverty. The UN predicts it will take at least 10 years to reverse the economic impact on women from the pandemic and, in some locations, improvements in equal pay have eroded to levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis.

Nurseries, child-care centers, schools and other infrastructural programs or services continue to stay closed; domestic workers are not able to provide services; programs for the elderly or infirm are cancelled. These mechanisms are crucial to the ability of both sexes to work, but they are particularly important for women – even more so for women in these service sectors significantly impacted by the pandemic. Some estimates suggest women are doing three to four times as many hours of unpaid work than their male counterparts, increasing the pressure on working women to make impossible choices. Without social care services, single mothers, women working part-time or without steady hours cannot continue to work at all. Those with financial means to cover the costs of care or ability to work remotely still face increased demands on their time, from home schooling to caring for loved ones, to overcoming interrupted supply chains to find food and basic supplies.

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Following the disruption triggered by the pandemic, we need to rethink our community by focusing on structural issues

Closing the gender gap is the starting point for Building a better working world and we must foster an inclusive culture that is able to enhance individual diversity – especially gender diversity – because women represent a fundamental resource all over the world and at every level. In Italy and elsewhere, women have been deeply impacted by the effects of the pandemic on employment, which has also been aggravated by the weakening of several essential services such as schools. In the near future, our country will have to take into account the disadvantaged condition of thousands of Italians and finally provide solutions through government actions to reform the society.

Local contact

Stefania Radoccia
EY Italy, Managing Partner Tax & Law

Women. Fast forward

At EY, we are creating an inclusive culture that enables women’s potential to truly transform society and build a better working world.

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At EY, we focus on the idea of belonging – meaning we value each other’s differences and work to create an environment that allows each team member to bring their authentic self to the workplace. #SheBelongs is more than a hashtag for me, as it speaks to the core values of our organization. I know the stress of being a working mother. I know the stress of worrying about family members and trying to create a healthy and safe environment. I know how many colleagues – men and women – are struggling during this incredible time.

We will get to a place and time where the pandemic is controllable, our lives can resume some level of social activity, and we can travel again to see loved ones. Let’s make sure that’s accompanied by the ability of women to achieve their personal goals and professional aspirations. Let’s make sure we all find ways to become more equitable in our homes, our roles and our lives. Let’s make sure #SheBelongs.

Summary

Without gender equality, the world cannot recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in a sustainable and inclusive way. When we make sure #SheBelongs, we create a better world for all. 

A proposito di questo articolo

Da Julie Linn Teigland

EY EMEIA Area Managing Partner and EY Global Leader – Women. Fast forward

Passionate about the transformational power of digitalization and innovation and its potential to deliver sustainable, inclusive growth for clients. Prominent voice of the Women20 global agenda.

Related topics Forza lavoro