Women in companies

[Sara]

Hi guys and girls! After the last conference of Cebora group, in Bologna, we started a discussion, in forum "La storia nel futuro 2008" about the figure of women in a company, their opportunities to work and ability to get on career in life. I'd like to continue better this discussion and have your opinions. Furthermore today I have followed to the program "Mattino 5", in which the discussion was just about this topic....it is a really topical interest! I think that, surely, women have a lot of duties, as people, wifes, mothers and so on... but we live in a modern society, in which women's figure had absolutely changed, respect some years ago. In particular there are some women that they really succeeded to get on career. For example Luciana Migliavacca(managing director of Medusa's Video), Adele Bandera (managing director of Morgagni33), Rita Cervi (sales director of Walt Disney Studio Motin P.I.), Linda Spada ( new comunication director of BCG, The Boston Consulting Group) and Donatella Ceccarelli ( she works in the Global Wealth Management of Merrill Lynch). It's sure that Italy is really far from american or european countries societies and their level of womens' employment and power. It's enough to think to Hilary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Cristina Kirchner, or in the past to Evita Peron! I hope in the future....!

[Francesco Monti]

I think that, as you stated Italian situation is really far from american and european countries, but i personally observe that for young people in different field of italian modern society the difference between men and women is not that one we could see 10 years ago. So i'm confident that women skills will make the most also in Italy, as in Usa, northern european countries but also in Spain and Greece. Finally don't forget that our new Confindustria president is a young woman!

[paolo marenco]

Sara , good Francesco comment , the new ( your ) generation of males have no competition with women at work....good and right for the future. Our conferences this here are really a " Peana"of women at leading work...have you seen the 3 conferences of this week....???

[Sara]

Yes sure, but I only wanted to continue the discussion about the comment said by Paola Generali in the last meeting with Cebora Group.... Some guys weren't agree with her... She said that women and men are different in their ways to work and ,it's sure, that woment have more difficults in order to get on career. I'm agree with her but only for women and men' s different ways to consider life and work. I think that we are in a modern society, now women have same positions as men, and things are really different from some years ago. Certainly In Italy there a lot of women head of important companies ( these conferences showed it) but, in my opinion, in particular in politics, there are vey few women, respects in other countries. Maybe , and I'm sorry for this, I don't express well my thought (its so difficult in english :-)!).

[paolo marenco]

You are right that it can be better...it's sure, but the way to be better is the male acceptance of this parity...I see, and I'm convinced, that your generation males are more opened on this, so the future will be more "equal" .....( service to the kid growths have to grow anyway, also if is dad to take care of kids!!)

[Francesco Monti]

For sure it can be better and I don't want to seem male chauvinist, but in my opinion the most serious delay in italian society and politics is that it is not focused on young generation (women and men indistincly). I'm sure that if in the future more attention to this theme will be payed also women situation will be better. Infact i think that problems and difficulties for young women are quite the same of young man especially in work world.

[paolo marenco]

Francesco ..I substancially agree with you....this is the reason why : 1 I push to grow a new generation - yours- to change this country 2 I try to open your minds to the global market...not to think only to Italy for your future.

[Francesco Monti]

hi paolo, I can guarantee to you that youngs don't think only to italy, a lot of friends of mine work or study abroad (USA, Japan, France, UK, Switzerland and so on). Personally I look in a positive way the chance to work in a foreign country, but i'm really worried about the possibility that Italy is not able to appeal foreign people because although I believe that the socalled "brains escape" (I'm not sure of my traslation but I don't know what's the english for "fuga dei cervelli") is not a problem the most important problem is that this "emigration" isn't covered by an equal and skilled "immigration". If the balance of this exchange is always in negative for our country italian future will be really not positive. I know very well that abroad chances for young and talent people are higher and also the future perspective is better. In order to be clear the thing I rember best of Vittorio Viarengo's conference at PoliTO i3p is the way he spoke about US and Italy different ways to work, to live and to face the future challenge. We have to learn this dynamic and positive approach to work.

[paolo marenco]

Francesco..you are right about the feeling about our Country , not able to attract talents... at least in the same way is able to leave you to go abroad. Here politics ( with taxation , work flexibility, less burocracy..) has to do its job, to make the country at the level of other competitors....doing that , the pleasure to work in Italy rather than wherever else in the world will complete the scenario...

[Maria]

In recent years the female occupation is increased especially in working quantity and a bit in quality.

I think that women can be as good as men to work and to get on career, but if a woman wants to work also at leading works, she shouldn't renounce to have a family.
They are both important aspects of life, in fact the government should do more to allow women to express their potentials through the facility of more flexible forms to work for example part-time and home working or services of internal asylum.
Working life and family life should be compatible.
Companies can become more competitive and innovative having women and men together in team working.

I was happy to listen in these conferences about women at leading work, beacause it is a bit growing phenomenon and I hope it will increase more in future
It was an experience that made me feel positive!

[Veronica Lenzi]

I was positively surprised when I read that finally even in Italy more and more factories are creating nurseries where female workers or managers can leave their children while they are at work. I think this is one of the basic pillars to enable women to have babies without the realistic worry of leaving their work forever.

And then...well, I guess there are guys with a marked domestic sense (at least I know some ;), so while girls should have the opportunity to fight for their dreams without an additional burden on their shoulder, boys may finally free householding from exclusive feminine hands! I am not ironic, really, administrating an house is quite similar to a managerial job.

[pistillo.stefano]

Speaking about nurseries in work places, here at the Polito in 2007 started the project Policino: a nursery in which every employee of the Politecnico (teacher or techincal-administrative workers) can leave their children during the day. Polito spent quite a lot of money in this and the result is being really appreciated.
I think it's a very good idea that helps every woman that wants to be a hard-worker and a good mother at the same time.

[Francesco Monti]

for sure men aren't the best in house keeping but only because they didn't have the opportunity/need of doing it. Personally I'm a son of a woman that works usually a lot and I have two brothers. I think that men that leave householding are those one have had a mother that did everything for them. So young generation men that has lots of working mothers will probably give an hand to their partners and also encourage those facilities like nureseries which are the way to make possible professional whises of all.