Beyond the Pink Label: Italy’s Certification of Gender Equality for Organisational Change through Management Commitment and Employee Engagement

Gender equality is a global goal, especially in Italy, where cultural traditions often clash with modern values. Despite legal protections for women, achieving true equity requires significant effort. This paper introduces Italy’s Certification of Gender Equality (Certificazione della parità di genere), aimed at reducing the gender gap and promoting company growth. The study reviews the certification process and its business benefits, then analyses data on certified Italian companies to assess its impact on gender equality and the role of collective bargaining in enhancing women’s workforce participation. The paper evaluates whether the certification can foster a more equitable working environment in Italy.