Padua, 8 March 2024 — The Penta Foundation, an independent research organisation on infectious diseases in children and pregnancy, is proud to announce that it has obtained the UNI/Pdr 125:2022 certification for its gender equality management system. This significant milestone confirms Penta Foundation’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.
The certification, granted by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in inspection, conformity verification, and certification services, attests to the efforts of Penta in promoting equal opportunities for women, men, and non-binary people, ensuring a fair and inclusive working environment.
“It is gratifying to work for an organisation like Penta, which embraces gender equality and diversity,” said Federica D’Ambrosio, Clinical Project Manager at Penta. “In this environment, I feel supported and free to contribute my ideas and skills without judgment or discrimination.”
In today’s world, gender equality and diversity in the workplace are ambitious goals that organisations worldwide strive to achieve. Among the few organisations in Italy to have obtained gender equality certification, Penta sets a positive example and contributes to the development of a more equal society.
Among the measures introduced by the Foundation to ensure gender equality are:
- Pay transparency: To promote fairness and equality within the Foundation and foster an environment of trust, Penta commits to ensuring that staff and collaborators clearly understand how their compensation is determined and comparable with that of colleagues in the same role.
- Work-life balance: Penta offers flexible work arrangements, such as remote work and adaptable hours, to promote a balance between work and family needs. Additionally, it encourages parental leave and other parenting support measures to allow staff to prioritise family responsibilities without compromising their professional growth.
- “Blind” recruitment: “Blind” recruitment is a practice introduced at Penta by the Human Resources Office to promote hiring based solely on the qualifications and the skills of candidates, mitigating unconscious biases. This approach facilitates the participation of individuals from diverse groups.
- Leadership diversity: The Foundation is committed to ensuring that the leadership team and Board of Directors are diverse to ensure that diverse perspectives are considered in all decision-making processes.
Carlo Giaquinto, president of the Penta Foundation, expressed his satisfaction with the certification, stating: “We are pleased to have achieved this milestone, which rewards our commitment to creating a more inclusive work environment and society. Gender equality is a driver of innovation and progress, and we are firmly committed to ensuring it in all areas of Penta’s work.”
Daniel Gomez Peña, Penta Senior Finance Manager and father of two said: “As a parent, I want to provide for my family, support my wife in her career path, and be present with my family for a longer time. Thanks to the 35 days of paternity leave, which is 25 days more than required by the Italian government, and fully remote work, I can be fully involved in the daily life of my daughters.”
“The gender equality certification comes after three years of intense work aimed at consolidating a corporate culture centred on gender equality,” says Eleonora Brugiolo, Penta Foundation’s Equality Officer. “The certification attests to the validity of what we have done so far; on the other hand, it encourages us to continue on this path, as it is now evident how a more inclusive and flexible work environment contributes to improving people’s lives outside the work context as well.”
The gender equality certification represents a significant step forward in building gender equality in Italy and in the international contexts where Penta operates. By implementing integrated corporate policies, fostering an inclusive work culture, and offering a successful model, Penta has demonstrated that gender equality is not just an ideal, but an achievable goal for all organisations.