Gender Equality Certification is not mandatory, but it is very important for building a sustainable and inclusive enterprise. At ADFlex we are convinced of this, which is why we have joined the pathway envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP) and managed by the Department for Equal Opportunities of the Prime Minister’s Office. A project that, as can be guessed, aims to incentivize companies to reduce the gender gap, specifically supporting the professional growth of women.
A path to equity, an important goal
The goal of certification is twofold: first, to promote the adoption of gender equality policies, and second, to enhance the role of women in business. This expands employment, leadership and work-life balance opportunities for women.
But how does the path to certification work? The UNI/PdR 125:2022 practice introduces specific indicators, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), linked to six key areas:
- Culture and Strategy: promotion of an inclusive and gender-responsive work environment.
- Governance: implementation of organizational structures that actively support gender equality.
- Human Resources processes: adoption of personnel management practices that value diversity.
- Opportunities for growth and inclusion: creating accessible and transparent career and training paths for all professionals.
- Pay equity: ensuring fair and equal economic treatment between men and women.
- Parental protection and work-life balance: developing company policies that support working parents as well as guaranteeing them (and all employees) what is called a healthy work-life balance.
What ADFlex has already done (and what we will do in the future)
ADFlex has enthusiastically embraced this opportunity for internal growth, which has already been underway for some time with the introduction of concrete measures to promote gender equality.
Prominent among these is the Birth Bonus, an initiative that started in 2023 and designed for employees who are new parents that aims to lighten the family load and promote a culture of equality and parity between dads and moms.
In compliance with the certification, the company is working on the creation of an internal committee dedicated to overseeing gender issues, a significant step in ensuring a fair and inclusive work environment and monitoring possible issues.
In terms of Governance, ADFlex has been implementing careful hiring policies to prevent and counter gender bias for some time, through the creation of a joint group dedicated to HR and the selection of new staff.
One of the first actions planned in the near future, in addition to the creation of new concrete actions, will be the adoption of a training course against gender bias to help all employees become aware of unconscious biases and create a work environment where everyone feels respected and included.
For ADFlex, Gender Equality Certification is not just a formal recognition, but an operational and strategic tool, even more important considering the high percentage of men employed in the production sector of our company.
