Why the Gender Equality Certification from Bureau Veritas is important to the Chiesi Group

In February, the Chiesi Group were awarded the certification from Bureau Veritas, the world’s leading inspection, compliance and assessment company in the fields of quality, health and safety.

We spoke to Maria Paola Chiesi who is Head of Shared Value & Sustainability at the Chiesi Group, a research-focussed pharmaceutical Benefit Company, about why their recently awarded Gender Equality Certification is important to them.

Q: How much work is there behind such an important certification?

Maria Paola Chiesi: “For our effort to be certified, we were exposed to a long audit process, which involved different colleagues of different functions, during which Bureau Veritas had to verify our compliance with the KPIs provided.?

We instituted a Gender Equality Committee and a specific team part of the Diversity&Inclusion Committee, to work on gender equality, equal salaries, and career opportunities.?

But our journey towards equality does not end with the certification: the audit process helped us identify areas for improvement and opportunities for development on which we will engage in activating action plans based on the continuous improvement approach.”

Q: Why is gender equality important in a company?

Maria Paola Chiesi: “Diversity, or rather variety, is key to generating comparison and value within companies.

Gender equality means equal opportunities and responsibilities. In the choices that are made, “gender” is not a critical factor, but it is the individual who makes the difference, with his or her skills, path, and attitude.”

Q: Data shows that we are still lagging to reach gender equality, especially in Italy. In your opinion, what and where should companies improve?

Maria Paola Chiesi: “The 2030 Agenda with the 17 SDGS should certainly become a source of inspiration for Italian companies. Particularly, Goal number 5, about Gender Equality, should push companies to take action and structure their inclusion management system, not only to show their commitment to the Goal but also to determine and monitor precise targets.

Companies should pursue gender equality in terms of equal access to resources, choices, skill development, knowledge, and rewards. To ensure equity, strategies, and measures must often be appointed to compensate for historical and social disadvantages in gender differences.”