Driving towards inclusive workplaces: Italy’s certification of gender equality for a fairer labour market

The paper aims to present a brand-new tool – the Certification of Gender Equality (Certificazione della parità di genere) – which aspires to reduce gaps in all critically important areas of women’s professional growth and wage transparency, by supporting and incentivising companies at a national level. The final goal, therefore, is to implement a fairer labour market by narrowing the gender gap and fostering growth opportunities within the participating companies. This certification would state the result of a shift of culture towards one in which companies need to adopt best practices to better support their work environment. Consequently, a series of actions to strengthen equal pay for work of equal value, gender management policies, and a comprehensive work-life balance ethos are required to be implemented. The study on the Gender Equality Certification will proceed in two interconnected stages. Firstly, the paper addresses both the legislative framework and the existing literature on the topic to provide a complete description of the gender equality tool, highlighting the benefits it offers to companies in terms of business. Secondly, the paper tackles the quantitative data regarding the number of companies that have achieved the Certification of Gender Equality so far. This second phase of the research will enable the author to outline the dissemination of the tool within the Italian entrepreneurial landscape and assess its impact on the promotion of gender equality in the workforce. Finally, presenting the research findings, the paper evaluates whether this innovative tool can contribute to fostering a fairer world of work. If so, the Gender Equality Certification can be viewed as a result of different forms and degrees of social dialogue.