Exploring the gender gap: how inclusive are the life sciences industries in Italy?

Ensuring women's full and effective participation and equal leadership opportunities at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life is one of the key objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Despite the creation of new legislation and the progress of recent years, some disparities between men and women still exist. This study aimed to explore the current situation regarding some measures of gender equality in companies in the life sciences sector in Italy. The world of life sciences companies, medical devices, biotech, and homeopathy was studied from the point of view of promoting equal opportunities, inclusion and equality. The objective was to collect data about the current scenario to acknowledge the advancements already made and where there is still room to improve. An ad hoc questionnaire was created to investigate the presence of women in company management teams and corporate boards, their roles, and their seniority. Besides, the study aimed to estimate the forecasts for the inclusion of female figures within the management team and the presence of company policies of attraction and facilitation aimed at female figures, such as flexible hours, part-time, smart working or additional paid leave, but also forms of support for families for nursery schools. This questionnaire has been distributed and addressed to personnel specialised in the human resources of companies in the life sciences sector. The results will be analysed and discussed.