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More women in managerial roles in Italy, but they remain 20 per cent

The latest 'Women's Report' on private managers, compiled by Manageritalia, shows that young women under the age of 35 account for 39% in management roles

by Letizia Giangualano

7 March 2024

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Women managers in Italy have increased by 8.1% in the last year and have doubled since 2008. This is the significant figure that emerges from the latest 'Women Report' on private managers, drawn up by Manageritalia on the latest official data made available by Inps. A report that shows clear signs of change and improvement.

Women now account for 21.4% of the total compared to 12.2% in 2008. This increase can be attributed to several factors, including generational change. Women under the age of 35 are particularly represented, with 39% in management roles and 40% among middle managers, who are the antechamber to senior management.

Sectoral Differences

As far as the different sectors are concerned, the presence of women in management roles increased in the tertiary sector by 8.5%, less so in industry (+7.1%). Excellent results were also achieved in the health and social work sectors with a total of +18.3%, with women reaching +20.2%. In the information services and business communication sector, women score +10.5% compared to the total of new managers, which stands at +6.5%.

However, there are also sectors where the presence of women managers has decreased, such as in education and teaching, where there was an overall decrease of -34.6%, with as much as -48% for women. This could indicate a change in the desires and aspirations of women, who are moving towards other areas of work.

Geographical differences

There are also disparities between the geographical areas of Italy: the region with the highest percentage of women in management positions is Sicily (28%), followed in order by Latium (27.6%), Apulia (24%), Molise (23.1%) and Lombardy (23.3%). In the last three places Trentino-Alto Adige (10.9%), Umbria (13%) and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (13.6%).

How to promote equality

It is important to note that although there has been progress, there are still significant challenges to be addressed to promote gender equality in management roles. Women continue to face obstacles such as the gender pay gap, lack of representation on boards of directors, and purely cultural discrimination that often leads them to exclude themselves from the race for top positions.

To promote greater inclusion and diversity in management roles, it is crucial to adopt corporate policies that foster equal opportunities, transparency and the promotion of individual skills and competencies regardless of gender.

As Manageritalia President Mario Mantovani did not fail to emphasise when commenting on the report's data: 'The increase in the number of women managers in Italian companies represents cultural and social progress, a concrete sign of the overcoming of stereotypes that have often limited women's opportunities in the world of work and corporate management. There is still a long way to go for true gender equality, but these numbers show that we are on the right track. It is in everyone's interest, also because companies with women at the top perform better'.