One Day in Europe is a feature of EFG’s monthly newsletter GeoNews. Each month we travel to one of EFG’s national membership associations and discover their main activities and challenges. In July 2018 we have continued our journey across Italy and talked to representatives of our Italian National Association CNG.

The Italian National Council of Geologists (CNG) is the national organization in Italy which has the legislated authority to register professional geoscientists and regulate geosciences practice in Italy. It is the largest national association within EFG representing more than 11000 individual members from the academic and professional sectors.

Representatives of CNG have informed us about challenges relating to equal opportunities for men and women. Here below you can read a contribution by Alessandra Biserna who speaks about the role of CNG’s Equal Opportunities Commission.

The Equal Opportunities Commission of the CNG (Italian National Association) has been created with the aim of enhancing and giving the same professional role for men and women. What are the main objectives you want to achieve?

First of all, we have to remove the main obstacles preventing the professional realisation in the activity of women geologists until today. Unfortunately, a lot of data show us some numerical and economic differences between our male colleagues (the average discrimination rate for 2017 is 75%). These data come from the regional order and our welfare fund. It’s also important to work together with institutions that belong to us, such as our pension fund (EPAP) and the union of professional geologists (SINGEOP). It’s necessary to collaborate with other professions in the technical area that have the same problems like ours as highlighted by an inter-ministerial decree of October 2016 (Minister of Labour and Social Policies – Ministry of Economy and Development). The main aim is to identify, for the year 2017, sectors and professions characterised by gender differences between men and women of at least 25% (Istat’s date of 2015). We also have to pay attention to young people who have a lot of difficulties to find a well-paid job. In order to achieve this goal, the CNG has organised many social activities.

On 23 March 2018 the training workshop “Equality, Equal Opportunities and Principle of non-discrimination” took place in Rome. It was organised by the Equal Opportunities Commission of the CNG under the patronage of the “Fondazione Centro Studi of CNG” and the European Federation of Geologists. What about your feedback?

The purpose of this initiative was to implement an act of awareness and deepening of the principles of equality, equal opportunities and non-discrimination. It was organised also to promote awareness of the institutional instruments that work in this direction. The feedback was certainly positive among participants, even if many members didn’t participate in this workshop. In my opinion, the reason is that even today, we don’t understand the importance that these issues can exert on the due enhancement of our business.

What are the specific measures to achieve full equality between men and women in the employment sphere?

The process of change is already underway to achieve effective equality between men and women in employment. I also believe it is unstoppable but we can speed up these times. In my opinion, the CNG has to take action for the most disadvantaged professional categories. The CNG cannot be alone in the achievement of this goal, but it will necessarily have to network with other professions. Only in this way, we can reach those positive numbers that unfortunately do not belong to us as a professional category. Concrete actions could include, for example, parental leave and maternity, care of the elderly, flexible work, smart working, micro-credit, gender balance in public and private societies, work and aggregation of women and young people, etc… We currently don’t have any other events in prospect, but it’s important that we work together to achieve significant results. However, it’s not excluded that at the end of this Commission, we will organise an event with the intention of presenting our work.

Do you have a European reference model, a country in which important goals have been achieved on gender equality in the employment sphere?

The European reference model is Northern Europe: countries that were the first to introduce the system of quotas for women and the right for parental leave. The current numerical data show that policies are contributing significantly to changing these balances both in the employment field and in terms of the birth rate. Anyway, we must understand that it’s not just a question of equal opportunities but it’s necessary to put in place all possible skills, especially at a time of economic crisis like this, recognising the value of diversity.

Do you agree to ask for a female postmark with the word “geologist” (male form in the Italian language) as has already happened for the Order of Architects of Bergamo and Rome in Italy?

I see no problem: it’s just a linguistic permission and the Equal Opportunities Commission has the same opinion on this issue. This choice also has a strong impact on the personal sphere: it’s how you present yourself, it’s how you want them to identify you. This is also a cultural passage on which you have to work, or rather you have to educate. We are beginning to talk about it only today because certain processes have now begun. Anyway, I would like to recall what Stefania Cavagnoli, the linguist from the University of Rome, said in an interview a few days ago: “The language? It’s a matter of power that what you don’t appoint you don’t recognise”.

What do you want to ask political groups for achieving a gender equality in the professional categories?

I would ask the political groups to take concrete steps with the instruments that belong to them. I would ask the politicians to force these cultural passages, including from the education system by promoting policies of inclusion and integration. I would like to repeat that creating paths in this direction means moving for a better society in terms of quality of life and wealth of ideas.