Gender equality and women employment | Prysmian Group

Driving Change: Prysmian Group's Commitment to Gender Equality

In the last decade, female representation and gender equality have repeatedly, and justifiably, been making headlines as more women continue to reach the “first” status in their fields and new percentages of women in the public and private sectors are being reached. This societal shift the world has been experiencing is, in part, fueled by new reforms and increased commitment to the cause worldwide. Nonetheless, a lot is still left to do; the 2022 Global Gender Index - which the European Institute for Gender Equality presented in October 2022 - estimated that at the current rate of progress, it will take 132 years to reach full parity and close the overall gender gap on a global scale¹ .

This is why the European Commission has put gender equality at the forefront of its political actions and set out an ambitious strategy for 2020-2025. Yet, since the journey towards full gender equality remains an ongoing endeavor, collective efforts from all corners of society are required, and the role of businesses has emerged as not only significant, but indispensable.

¹European Commission, 2023 report on gender equality in the EU.

What is Prysmian Group doing in terms of gender equality?

Companies are increasingly recognizing the undeniable advantages of a diverse workforce, not only for their bottom line but also for the positive impact on society as a whole. By embracing gender equality, and actively pursuing diversity and inclusion overall, companies can drive innovation, foster a more harmonious workplace, and contribute to a fairer and more equitable world. In line with this, and with its human capital strategy , Prysmian Group is proactively developing as an organization which recognises the specific need to dedicating resources to achieving gender equality at all levels, and is committed to empowering more women, inside the company and in the communities in which we operate, to pursue careers in technical and scientific roles (with dedicated hiring programs such as Women in STEM and SHE STEMS).

The actions undertaken by Prysmian Group

Since the launch of Prysmian’s first Diversity & Inclusion program, Side by Side, in 2016, Prysmian Group has undertaken many actions in order to foster and continuously expand its activities in the area of gender equality. In particular:

Roll out of Side by Side, its Diversity & Inclusion Project at global and regional levels
Creation of the Group Diversity Workstream, Core Team, and Local Partners
Global Strategic Recruitment Programs and Official Gender Balance Targets
Women Leadership Program
DE&I in our Engagement Survey
DE&I as a main function in the Group
Global Diversity Recruitment Policy
Diversity as one of the Leadership Principles in the new Leadership Model
Review of Potential Drivers in P4 to reduce biases
Dedicated pages for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Global and regional workshops on topics such as gender, allyship, inclusive leadership, and inclusion
Global Parental Policy and Baby Bonus
DE&I Performance Indicators
Gender Pay Gap Action Plan towards Zero Gender Pay Gap in 2030
Global Anti-Harassment Policy and training
Back-to-Work support for new parents including Day Care and Lactation Rooms in some locations
DE&I Digital Trainings
Global Digital D&I Week
Signing UN WEP
Creation of the first Global DE&I Manifesto

Prysmian Group’s efforts to reach employment equity

Prysmian Group’s goal and commitment is to strengthen its inclusive culture worldwide, in order for all the Group’s employees to be supported professionally in their growth, without facing obstacles because of their ethnicity, religion, nationality, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.

As a part of the journey, Prysmian Group continues enlarging its efforts and concrete actions regarding its work-life balance policies, in response not only to employee feedback, but also as a way to welcome diverse people into roles that have traditionally had barriers to entry, particularly for women. Working toward a better work-life balance benefits all employees, but we know that as the primary caretakers in most cultures, women particularly bear the burden of the “second shift” at home. We aim to lower certain barriers, through our Wellbeing culture, and thus open up new career opportunities for women.

To present some data, as of December 31, 2022, the Group has increased the proportion of women:

in the total workforce to 19.2%, with a 2030 target of 25%;
in women recruitment of desk workers to 44.9%, with a 2030 target of 50%;
in women in all management positions over 24.3%, with a 2030 target of 30%.

Prysmian Group also set important goals concerning gender equality and women employment in its 2030 Social Ambition. In particular, the Group is aiming to reach the following results:

50/50 in Recruiting of Desk Workers
30% of Women in Senior Leadership roles
25% of Women in the Total Workforce
+ 500 women in a fully dedicated STEM program
Zero Pay Gap Desk workers

Gender equality: still a long way to go

Consistent with Prysmian Group’s gender balance objectives described above, the company has seen a growing recruitment of women over the past three years, going from 20% in 2020 to 44% in 2021 to 61% in 2022. A majority of female hiring has taken place in Desk Worker roles across the Group. Looking ahead, Prysmian plans to develop specific actions to increase the representation of females working in Non-Desk Worker roles or in Factory positions.

The growing global emphasis on gender equality and female employment is a proof of the progress made in challenging gender norms and promoting inclusivity. The journey towards gender equality is far from over, but the shift in awareness generated in recent years and the growing commitment shown by businesses towards this topic is a promising sign for the future.

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